TOKYO (AP) — Stocks in Asia traded higher Friday after a rally on Wall Street that pulled the S&P 500 back within 1% of its record. Benchmarks rose in Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and China, where investors were focused on the release of April inflation figures. In Japan, the Finance Ministry reported a record current account surplus for the fiscal year through March, as strong auto exports whittled down its trade deficit and the nation racked up solid returns on overseas investments. However, weak consumer spending undermined that positive data. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% to 38,229.11, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.5% to 7,761.90. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.8% to 2,733.06. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.1% to 18,918.54, while the Shanghai Composite edged 0.2% higher, to 3,160.61. Price data expected Saturday are being watched to see if the economy might be regaining momentum. |
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