In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index closed up 1.30% at 25,113.84 points. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.5% to 3,380.68 points and that of Shenzhen 1.09% to 2,249.95 points.
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The large Asian stock markets ended higher on Friday, following the jump in technology stocks on Wall Street the day before. Chinese markets were also buoyed by encouraging news about the development of a vaccine against COVID-19.
German biotech BioNtech and US laboratory Pfizer, currently in a phase of large-scale clinical trials of their vaccine project, confirmed Thursday that it could be ready for assessment by health authorities as early as October. They plan, if successful, to deliver up to 100 million doses by the end of 2020.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index closed up 1.30% at 25,113.84 points. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.5% to 3,380.68 points and that of Shenzhen 1.09% to 2,249.95 points.
In Tokyo, the flagship Nikkei also closed up 0.17% to 22,920.30 points, while the broad Topix index rose 0.30% to 1,604.06 points. The rise in US values the day before “psychologically supported market sentiment,” commented Toshikazu Horiuchi, broker at IwaiCosmo, interviewed by AFP.
The New York Stock Exchange ended up Thursday, pulled once again by big names in the technology sector, despite the release of mixed indicators on the US economy, including a rebound in weekly jobless claims. The Nasdaq index, with a strong technological color, rose 1.06% to 11,264.95 points, a new level.
“But the gains were limited by a period of calm trading,” when the lack of new elements in the Tokyo market did not encourage investment. “The strong yen has also prevented investors from actively buying,” added Horiuchi.
On the side of values
PANASONIC CONFIRMS ITS INVESTMENT: the title of the Japanese electronic conglomerate ended the session up 0.86% to 948.1 yen. The group confirmed Thursday that it intends to invest in increasing the production capacity of electric batteries for Tesla vehicles at its plant in Nevada, operated with the US electric car maker. Panasonic, however, declined to comment on the figures of the business daily Nikkei, which referred to an investment of more than $ 100 million.
On the currency and oil side
The yen rallied slightly against the dollar, with a dollar worth 105.52 yen around 9:00 a.m. GMT, against 105.80 yen at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday. The European currency fell against the yen, one euro worth 124.64 yen against 125.48 yen the day before.
The greenback was climbing against the euro, with one euro trading for 1.1812 dollars against 1.1860 dollars on Thursday at 10 p.m.
Oil prices were down slightly after having already ended in decline Thursday, the day after the monthly meeting of OPEC + ministers, who unsurprisingly maintained their agreement to cut production.
Around 10:00 am, the price of a barrel of US crude WTI fell 0.75% to 42.50 dollars and that of a barrel of Brent from the North Sea lost 0.6% to 44.63 dollars.
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