Thin Holiday Trading Helps Asian Stocks Rise – Asia Market Wrap

Asian equities rose slightly as investors waited to see how tariff negotiations progressed before making long-term wagers.

While Japan’s Nikkei-225 index rose 0.8%, mainland Chinese equities fell 0.4% after the US imposed tariffs on Chinese vessels docking at its ports. The New Zealand Dollar continued its slide from a five-month high. Most other marketplaces in the region are closed for the Good Friday holiday.

Traders are paying more attention to developments in country-specific conversations, hoping to learn more about how tariffs would be implemented. Following the “big progress” in Japan-US discussions, Trump stated that he is “very confident” of reaching an agreement with the EU, but provided no further information. Questions remain about the fate of China talks after Beijing stated Wednesday that it had several prerequisites for consenting to discussions with the administration.

The Yen was barely changed Friday after falling in the previous session as Japan’s senior negotiator stated that currencies were not discussed during the bilateral discussion. That alleviated concerns that a greater exchange rate would be one of the US’s demands.

In Japan, consumer inflation rose sharply last month, reinforcing the central bank’s position of gradual rate increases. The price of rice, the country’s primary food, increased 92.1% from the previous year, the fastest rate recorded since 1971.