Source: CNBC
Asia markets were mixed in early trade on the
final day of the trading week, as investors looked ahead for the release
of China's first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) numbers, due at
10 a.m. HK/SIN time.
Experts predict growth to have moderately eased in the world's second-largest economy in the first quarter of 2016, with the economy estimated to have expanded by 6.7 percent on-year, according to a Reuters poll, compared with a 6.8 percent reading in the December quarter.
Australia's ASX 200 was up 0.19 percent, boosted by a 0.44 percent uptick in the heavily-weighted financials subindex, which offset losses of 1.04 and 0.83 percent in the energy and materials subindexes, respectively.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 snapped its three-session winning streak on the back of a relatively weaker yen. The benchmark index was off 0.24 percent. The Japanese yen maintained at the 109 level to the dollar, with the dollar/yen pair trading at 109.50 as of 8:25 a.m. HK/SIN time.
Across the Korean Strait, the Kospi traded nearly flat, up 0.03 percent.
Experts predict growth to have moderately eased in the world's second-largest economy in the first quarter of 2016, with the economy estimated to have expanded by 6.7 percent on-year, according to a Reuters poll, compared with a 6.8 percent reading in the December quarter.
Australia's ASX 200 was up 0.19 percent, boosted by a 0.44 percent uptick in the heavily-weighted financials subindex, which offset losses of 1.04 and 0.83 percent in the energy and materials subindexes, respectively.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 snapped its three-session winning streak on the back of a relatively weaker yen. The benchmark index was off 0.24 percent. The Japanese yen maintained at the 109 level to the dollar, with the dollar/yen pair trading at 109.50 as of 8:25 a.m. HK/SIN time.
Across the Korean Strait, the Kospi traded nearly flat, up 0.03 percent.
Overnight, U.S. stocks closed narrowly mixed, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing up 0.1 percent, the S&P 500 adding 0.02 percent and the Nasdaq composite finishing down 0.03 percent.
David de Garis, a director and senior economist for fixed income, currencies and commodities at the National Australia Bank, said in a note that risk sentiment "took something of a breather overnight, without going into reverse."
In the currency market, the Australian dollar traded at $0.7686, compared with the lower end of the $0.76 handle where it traded during Asian hours on Thursday.
De Garis said the appetite for the Aussie "re-emerged again overnight, thanks to the tailwinds already created this week by strong reports from the NAB Business Survey and yesterday's labor market report revealing a push back down in the unemployment rate and ahead of today's China data feast."
China is a big market for Australian exports, and the Aussie tends to move in tandem with Chinese data.
Oil prices finished lower overnight, ahead of the oil producers' meeting in Doha on April 17. Global benchmark Brent fell 34 cents to $43.84 a barrel, while U.S. crude ended down 26 cents at $41.50.
David de Garis, a director and senior economist for fixed income, currencies and commodities at the National Australia Bank, said in a note that risk sentiment "took something of a breather overnight, without going into reverse."
In the currency market, the Australian dollar traded at $0.7686, compared with the lower end of the $0.76 handle where it traded during Asian hours on Thursday.
De Garis said the appetite for the Aussie "re-emerged again overnight, thanks to the tailwinds already created this week by strong reports from the NAB Business Survey and yesterday's labor market report revealing a push back down in the unemployment rate and ahead of today's China data feast."
China is a big market for Australian exports, and the Aussie tends to move in tandem with Chinese data.
Oil prices finished lower overnight, ahead of the oil producers' meeting in Doha on April 17. Global benchmark Brent fell 34 cents to $43.84 a barrel, while U.S. crude ended down 26 cents at $41.50.
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