People walk down a street within the Chinatown section of Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo, on January 7, 2023.
Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images
Markets within the Asia-Pacific traded mixed on Friday as investors digested Japan’s inflation data. The nationwide core consumer price index rose 4% in December on an annualized basis, the fastest pace since 1981.
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.18% in its first hour of trade, while the Topix traded 0.12% lower. The yield on the 10-year Japanese Government Bond rose to face at 0.415%, barely below the central bank’s upper ceiling of its tolerance range.
The Kospi in South Korea rose 0.41% and the Kosdaq gained 0.53%. In Australia the S&P/ASX 200 pared earlier losses to realize 0.11%.
China’s 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates are set to be announced later within the day, while inflation data for Malaysia and Hong Kong will even be closely watched.
Stocks on Wall Street fell Thursday as investors grew increasingly concerned the Federal Reserve will keep raising rates despite signs of slowing inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted saw the third straight negative session, giving up gains from a short-lived recent 12 months’s rally.
— CNBC’s Tanaya Macheel, Samantha Subin contributed to this report
