Asian stock markets presented a mixed bag on Friday, with falls in China and gains in Japan and South Korea, following better-than-expected earnings reports from US tech behemoths Apple and Amazon.
Investor confidence in artificial intelligence has fuelled a rally in global stock markets this week, making California-based chip designer Nvidia the first $5 trillion firm.
Rosy sentiment was further boosted by a detente in the US-China trade war, with leaders agreeing on Thursday to walk back punitive measures that had disrupted international supply chains and manufacturing sectors.
But that boom showed signs of flagging on Thursday as investors processed comments by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell the previous day that cast doubt on another interest rate cut in December.
The three major Wall Street indices retreated on Thursday, with the Nasdaq dropping the most at 1.6 per cent.
An earnings report released by Apple after US markets closed showed quarterly revenue that beat estimates, powered by iPhone and services revenue.
Amazon also reported earnings that were better than expected, driven by surging demand for its cloud computing services.
Tokyo’s main benchmark gained more than two per cent on Friday while Seoul added half a per cent, with both reaching record closes.
Japan’s climb came despite a sharp plunge in Nissan shares after the automotive giant said it expected to suffer an operating loss in its current fiscal year ending in March.
Trading in Seoul ended just after an announcement by Nvidia that it will supply 260,000 of its most cutting-edge chips to South Korea.
The statement came as CEO Jensen Huang met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the APEC summit. Also in attendance on Friday were leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada.
Taipei finished slightly down, and Sydney closed flat.
In Hong Kong, shares of Chinese electric vehicle powerhouse BYD tumbled after results announced on Thursday evening showed a 33 per cent year-on-year slump in third-quarter profit.
Hong Kong’s main benchmark closed the day down 1.4 per cent, while Shanghai finished 0.8 per cent lower.
“While (BYD’s) near-term domestic growth may face headwinds from ongoing price discipline and evolving government policies, the international segment offers a robust counterbalance,” HSBC analyst Yuqian Ding said in a report.
Challenges in the Chinese economy were further highlighted by official data on Friday that showed factory activity shrinking in October for the seventh successive month.
Xi and US President Donald Trump struck several key deals during Thursday’s meeting that had been anticipated by observers.
Washington agreed to cut some tariffs on Chinese goods, while Beijing committed to keeping supplies of critical rare earths flowing.
Trump and Xi have not yet signed a comprehensive trade agreement, and experts say the meeting amounted to a tentative one-year truce in the trade war between the world’s top two economies.
Europe opened lower Friday, with main benchmarks in London, Paris, and Frankfurt slightly down in morning trading.
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.2 per cent at $60.46 per barrel
