Thin Holiday Trading Helps Asian Stocks Rise – Europe Market Wrap

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

The Nikkei-225 measure in Japan rose 1%. Shares in mainland China were little changed, reversing previous losses triggered by a US intention to levy tariffs on Chinese vessels landing at its ports. The New Zealand Dollar continued its slide from a five-month high. Most other marketplaces in the region were closed for the Good Friday holiday.

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.

Meanwhile, China’s national wealth fund appears to have stepped in to support markets this week as trade tensions worsen. In the last three days, exchange-traded funds known to be favoured by China’s so-called national team have shown an increase in turnover in the closing 20 minutes of each session.