Asian shares rose Friday on optimism about the rally on Wall Street and an economic rebound in the U.S., as investors awaited the release of jobs data.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 NIK, +0.09% recouped early losses to edge up 0.3% in morning trading. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 XJO, +0.27% added 0.3%, while South Korea’s Kospi 180721, +0.58% gained 0.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng HSI, -0.19% rose 0.5%, while the Shanghai Composite SHCOMP, -0.65% edged up 0.4%. Stocks declined in Indonesia JAKIDX, -0.51% but gained in Singapore STI, 0.75% and Taiwan Y9999, +1.71%.
U.S. employment data in the global day can offer insights into the strength of the global recovery. The same is true for data out of China. Worries continue about the recent surges of illnesses in India, Thailand and other countries.
Export-dependent Japan is preparing to extend its state of emergency to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, which kicked in last month in some urban areas, with people asked to stay home and restaurants to close early.
A choppy day of trading on Wall Street ended with stocks broadly higher and another all-time high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.93%. Banks and technology companies led a late-afternoon turnaround that pushed.