Asian Markets Show Weakness in Unison with Wall Street

The focus of international financial markets on Friday was once again the fluctuation of Asian stock indices. After a mixed trading week, most markets edged slightly lower, led by Wall Street which set the pace. A slight downward weekly trend emerged, with the exception of some positive signals from mainland China. Technology stocks, in particular in Hong Kong, faced headwinds. Influenced by the decline in U.S. tech stocks and a gloomy forecast from American software giant Adobe, the Hang Seng Index lost significant value. A decrease of 1.57 percent positioned the index at the close of trading at 16,694.77 points. A more favorable scenario emerged in mainland China, where the CSI 300, which lists the heavyweights of the exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen, recorded gains. With an increase of 0.22 percent to 3569.99 points, the first signs of recovery appeared. Real estate prices, considered an indicator of economic stability, fell less than predicted. A glimmer of hope after ten months of uncertainty. The Japanese stock markets, on the other hand, experienced slight losses. The Nikkei 225 conceded losses of 0.26 percent, closing at 38,707.64 points. The driving force here was the successful wage demand of the country's largest trade union federation, which fueled speculation about a tighter monetary policy by the central bank. The benchmark indicator in the Australian market, the S&P/ASX 200, also recorded a decline, falling 0.56 percent to 7670.28 points. In South Korea, a distinctly clear downward trend was evident, due mainly to the notable presence of technology companies in its market landscape.