China CPI, Hang Seng Index, Kospi, Nikkei 225
November 19, 2025, China, Shanghai: Boats on the Huangpu River pass by downtown Shanghai. The tallest building on the skyline is Shanghai Tower (behind).
Bernd von Jutrczenka | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Friday as investors awaited China’s inflation data to be released later in the day.
December consumer price inflation in China is expected to be 0.8% on an annual basis, according to economists polled by Reuters. Compared to 0.7% in November.
Japan’s reference point Nikkei 225 It rose 0.54% while Topix rose 0.46%.
shares Fast Retailing Uniqlo’s Japanese operator jumped more than 7% after saying Quarterly operating profit increased by a third and raised its full-year forecast.
The company said strong global sales helped offset the impact of U.S. tariffs, adding that it was on track for a fifth consecutive year of profit growth, supported by strong sales in China and rapid expansion in North America and Europe.
South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.41% and the small-cap Kosdaq lost 0.21%.
of Australia S&P/ASX 200 marked slightly below the straight line. shares Rio Tinto Lost over 5% after miner It was announced late Thursday started early stage acquisition negotiations with glencore. A successful merger would create a mining giant Its value is approximately 207 billion dollars.
of hong kong Hang Seng Index Futures contracts started trading at 26,312, compared to the index’s previous close of 26,149.31.
Investors will also follow closely Hang Seng Bank Shares rose after shareholders approved the majority owner’s plan on Thursday. HSBC Taking the lender private.
Defense stocks across Asia rose as investors continued to monitor ongoing geopolitical tensions following the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and President Donald Trump’s move to seize Greenland.
In Japan, shares of Kawasaki Heavy Industries increased by 1.46%. IHI It increased by 1.98%. In South Korea, Poongsan was up more than 4%, while Korea Aerospace was up 1.33%. Hanwha Aerospace increased by 5.87%.
U.S. stock futures were little changed in early Asian trading ahead of December’s key employment report and a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling on taxes. The Supreme Court could rule on the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which could impact trade policy and the nation’s finances.
Overnight in the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose while the Nasdaq Composite came under pressure as investors moved away from technology stocks.
The Dow index, consisting of 30 stocks, ended at 49,266.11 points, with an increase of 270.03 points, or 0.55%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.44 percent to settle at 23,480.02. The S&P 500 index closed at 6,921.46 points, with an increase of 0.01 percent. Among the S&P 500’s 11 sectors, information technology ranked second, down more than 1%.
— CNBC’s Pia Singh and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.
