On Friday morning (16 May, 9:13 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific traded mixed as investors sifted through Japan’s gross domestic product data and anticipated a series of upcoming economic indicators from the region.
In the first quarter of 2025, Japan’s economy contracted by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter. This decrease exceeded the 0.1% decline forecasted by economists surveyed by Reuters.
This came amidst ongoing trade discussions between Japan and the U.S., where initial dialogues between the two nations have yet to produce a definitive agreement.
South Korea’s KOSPI climbed by 0.07% to 2,623.1. Australia’s ASX 200 rose by 0.62% to 8,349.3, while Japan’s NIKKEI dropped by 0.52% to 37,558.4.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC dipped by 0.28% to 3,371.2. Hong Kong’s HSI contracted by 0.8% to 23,265.83, while Shenzhen’s SZI grew by 0.21% to 10,207.63.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets were mixed on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) surged by 0.65% to 42,322.75. S&P 500 gained 0.41% to 5,916.93, while NASDAQ slid by 0.18% to 19,112.32. VIX slumped by 4.24% to 17.83.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Thursday due to anticipation of a potential U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement, which might lead to eased sanctions and increased oil supply globally. Brent futures decreased $1.56 or 2.36% to $64.53 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell $1.53 or 2.42% to $61.62 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures added 1 cent or 0.02% to $64.54 a barrel, and the WTI increased 2 cents or 0.03% to $61.64 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures climbed 0.07% to $3,229 per Troy ounce.
