Asian stocks stepped ahead on Friday as sentiment improved on a report that more progress has been made in U.S.-China trade talks and after UK lawmakers voted to delay a potentially chaotic exit from the European Union.
Asian stocks
- MSCI broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.5 percent.
- The Shanghai Composite Index added 1.3 percent.
- Japan’s Nikkei climbed 1 percent and South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.9 percent.
- S&P 500 dipped 0.1 percent.
- The blue-chip CSI 300 eased 0.4 percent.
Currency
- In the currency market, the pound was steady at $1.3237.
- Sterling retreated 0.75 percent on Thursday as investors geared up for British Prime Minister Theresa May to once more try and win approval for her Brexit deal.
- The dollar index was little changed at 96.738 after rising 0.25 percent on Thursday.
- The dollar extended the previous day’s gains and was 0.1 percent higher at 111.84 yen.
- The euro edged up 0.1 percent to $1.1311 after slipping 0.2 percent overnight.
Commodities
- Oil futures declined 0.1 percent to $58.55 per barrel.
Source: Investing.com