Friday, November 7: Asian markets opened mostly lower this morning as of 9 AM IST, tracking weak global cues and cautious investor sentiment ahead of key economic releases. Japan’s Nikkei fell sharply by 2.16% to 49,783.49, leading regional losses, while South Korea’s Kospi declined 2.27% to 3,935.05. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI) slipped 0.82% to 26,268.85, and Taiwan’s benchmark index dropped 0.49% to 27,764.12.
Australia’s ASX 200 edged down 0.51% to 8,783.7, while mainland Chinese markets traded slightly lower — the Shanghai Composite eased 0.09% to 4,004.01, and Shenzhen fell 0.1% to 13,438.76. Malaysia and Singapore bucked the trend, with Malaysia’s index inching up 0.01% to 1,619.14, and Singapore’s STI gaining 0.16% to 4,492.24. New Zealand’s NZX 50 rose 0.2% to 13,603.93, while Thailand’s SETI slipped 0.31% to 1,309.28.
| Index | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hang Seng (HSI) | 26,268.85 | -217.05 | -0.82% |
| NZX 50 | 13,603.93 | +27.12 | +0.20% |
| Malaysia | 1,619.14 | +0.20 | +0.01% |
| Taiwan | 27,764.12 | -135.33 | -0.49% |
| Nikkei | 49,783.49 | -1,100.19 | -2.16% |
| ASX 200 | 8,783.70 | -44.60 | -0.51% |
| Shanghai | 4,004.01 | -3.75 | -0.09% |
| Shenzhen | 13,438.76 | -13.65 | -0.10% |
| Kospi | 3,935.05 | -91.40 | -2.27% |
| SETI | 1,309.28 | -4.03 | -0.31% |
| STI | 4,492.24 | +7.25 | +0.16% |
In another development, China’s trade surplus stood at $90.07 billion in October, down slightly from $90.45 billion in September and missing expectations, according to the country’s General Administration of Customs.
Exports fell 1.1% year-on-year in dollar terms, while imports, which surged 7.4% in September, rose just 1% in October. In local currency terms, the trade surplus was 640.4 billion yuan, with exports declining 0.8% and imports rising 1.4%.
