Manila (Philippines), June 27: Asian shares were mostly higher on Friday after US stocks ran up to the edge of another record. US futures and oil prices also logged slight gains.
Investors were watching for further details after President Donald Trump said the US and China had signed a trade deal. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview on Bloomberg TV that the deal was signed two days ago, but he gave no details, saying “The president likes to close these deals himself.”
Worries about Trump’s higher tariffs have receded since the president shocked the world in April with stiff proposed levies, but they have not disappeared. The wait is still on to see how big the tariffs will ultimately be, how much they will hurt the economy and how much they will push up inflation.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was barely changed at 24,333.43, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.2 per cent to 3,441.30.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index surged 1.6 per cent to 40,215.36 as the government reported that consumer prices eased slightly in May.
South Korea’s KOSPI Composite Index slid 0.7 per cent to 3,050.01.
Markets have settled somewhat after the upheavals of the Israel-Iran war and its aftermath.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.8 per cent to 6,141.02 and was sitting just 0.05 per cent below its all-time closing high set in February. It briefly topped the mark during the afternoon in the latest milestone for the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, which had dropped roughly 20 per cent below its record during the spring on worries about President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 0.9 per cent to 43,386.84, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1 per cent to 20,167.91. Reports Thursday added to evidence the US economy is holding up despite higher tariffs and other challenges, though it has slowed. Orders for washing machines and other manufactured goods that last at least three years grew by more last month than economists expected. Another report said fewer US workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, a potential signal of fewer layoffs.
A third report said the US economy shrank by more during the first three months of 2025 than earlier estimated. But many economists say those numbers were distorted by a surge in imports as companies tried to get ahead of tariffs. They’re expecting a better performance in upcoming months.
Following the reports, Treasury yields swiveled up and down in the bond market before easing.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.24 per cent from 4.29 per cent late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, fell to 3.71 per cent from 3.74 per cent late Wednesday.
Analysts said yields may have felt pressure because of a report from The Wall Street Journal saying Trump could name his nominee to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell unusually early, in an attempt to undermine him. That could hurt confidence among investors about the Fed’s capability to make unpopular decisions when it comes to fighting inflation.
On Wall Street, spices company McCormick jumped 5.3 per cent after delivering a better-than-expected profit report and giving a full-year profit forecast that topped analysts’ expectations, including planned efforts to offset increased costs caused by tariffs.
Over the longer term, it’s been big technology stocks that have led the market for years and since the S&P 500 hit a trough in April.
Chip company Nvidia, which has been the poster child of the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, added 0.5 per cent. It’s the most valuable company in the US stock market after rushing 61 per cent higher since April 8, towering over the S&P 500’s gain of 23 per cent. Another AI darling, Super Micro Computer, rose 5.7 per cent to bring its gain since April 8 to 55 per cent.
In other dealings early Friday, the US benchmark crude gained 35 cents to USD 65.59 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 36 cents to USD 67.05 per barrel
The US dollar rose to 144.45 Japanese Yen from 144.40 Yen. The euro fell to USD 1.1699 from USD 1.1703. (AP)
