Asian stock markets today: live updates

Japanese benchmark indices were in negative territory on Friday, the only major Asian market to do so.

The Nikkei 225 and Topix fell 0.05% and 0.94% respectively, mainly due to losses in energy stocks as oil prices retreat from a 13-month high.

Light crude traded at $91.68 on Friday, while Brent crude traded at $95, down from 13-month highs of $93.68 and $96.55, respectively.

The biggest loser on the Nikkei was shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines, down 5.23%, while power companies Kansai Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power were also on the list of biggest losers, falling 4.8% and 4.6%, respectively.

– Lim Hui Ji

With interest rates peaking, investment advisors are now seeing opportunities to make huge gains through some government bonds.

A combination of macroeconomic factors coupled with tax-free benefits is expected to enhance investor returns.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

-Ganesh Rao

Inflation in the Japanese capital It grew at the slowest rate in a year, reaching 2.8% for September compared to 2.9% in August. The last time inflation reached this low level was in September 2022.

Core inflation, which excludes fresh food prices, was 2.5%, below the 2.6% expected by economists in a Reuters poll and also below the 2.8% in August.

The Tokyo inflation rate is considered a leading indicator of inflation trends nationwide.

– Lim Hui Ji

The US dollar has been on a tear following the Fed’s apparent commitment to higher interest rates for a longer period.

While economies and stock markets around the world would likely come under pressure in such a scenario, a wide range of European stocks could actually benefit from a stronger US dollar, according to Bank of America.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

– Amala Balakrishner

Production of Japanese factories The inflation rate stabilized in August compared to July, contrary to the expectations of economists polled by Reuters for a decline of 0.8%.

On an annual basis, industrial production fell for the third month in a row, falling by 3.7%.

separately, Retail It rose 7% year over year, higher than expectations of 6.6% and at the same rate compared to July’s revised figure of 7%.

Unemployment rate in Japan It also remained unchanged at 2.7% in August.

– Lim Hui Ji

Oil prices rose to their highest level in more than a year during Asian trading hours, after crude inventories at a major storage hub fell to their lowest levels since July last year.

Crude oil inventories at Cushing, Oklahoma, fell to 22 million barrels in the fourth week of September — hovering near the operating minimum, according to Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). This represents a decrease of 943,000 barrels compared to the previous week.

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures touched $95.03 per barrel during Asian trading hours, hitting the highest level since August 2022. They were last at $93.16 per barrel.

The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, reached $97.56 per barrel earlier in the session. They last traded at $96.03 per barrel.

– Li Ying Shan, Sarah Min

Real GDP rose 2.1% at an annual pace in the second quarter, according to the third and final estimate Issued by the Ministry of Commerce Thursday. This did not change from the previous reading, but it was lower than the Dow Jones estimate of 2.2%.

However, the government revised its previous readings of GDP, and reduced first-quarter growth for each year from 2020 to 2022.

The new readings, respectively, are -5.3%, 5.2% and -2%, compared to the previous readings -4.6%, 6.3% and -1.6%.

In other economic news Thursday, initial jobless claims totaled 204,000 for the week ending September 23. According to the Ministry of Labour. This was below the estimate of 214,000. Continuing claims rose to 1.67 million, up 12,000 and slightly below the FactSet estimate of 1.675 million.

—Jeff Cox

New York Stock Exchange stocks rose more than two for every one that declined on Thursday, as Wall Street tried to recoup some of the sharp losses it suffered in September. Overall, 1,976 stocks listed on the NYSE rose, while 719 fell.

-Fred Imbert

The percentage of pessimism among individual investors rose to 40.9%, the highest percentage since mid-May, from 34.6% last week, in the latest weekly poll conducted by the American Association of Individual Investors. The survey asks investors about their expectations for stocks during the next six months.

Conversely, optimism fell to 27.8%, its lowest level in four months, from 31.3% last week.

The historical average for decline is 31.0% and for rise is 37.5%.

Bullish sentiment is below its historical average for the sixth week in seven weeks, and has declined by 14.4 percentage points in just the past three weeks.

-Scott Schnepper