Asia-Pacific Markets Show Mixed Responses

Following the release of China's latest trade data, Asia-Pacific markets exhibited mixed reactions on Friday. Despite the ongoing US tariffs, China's exports in April saw a significant year-on-year increase of 8.1%, surpassing expectations. Meanwhile, imports experienced a slight decline of just 0.2%, which was less than anticipated.

Market Movements Across the Region

Japan's Nikkei 225 was up by 1.57% at 7:18 am CET, showcasing a positive trend. In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng and South Korea's Kospi remained flat. Mainland China witnessed a slight decrease in the Shanghai Composite by 0.22% and a more notable drop in the Shenzhen Composite by 0.82%. On the brighter side, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 enjoyed a gain of 0.61%.

Currency Fluctuations

The dollar experienced a minor downturn, trading 0.28% lower against the yen at the same time, with a selling price of 145.5090.