Asia-Pacific markets ended Friday without a single direction, while investors continued reducing exposure to the technology sector. The move followed the pressure seen in U.S. stock exchanges, where shares of semiconductor manufacturers posted another session of losses and mainly affected indices linked to technology companies.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 posted weaker performance, while the Topix managed to close up 0,34%. In South Korea, the Kospi advanced 0,97%, but the technology-focused index, the Kosdaq, fell 1,12%, showing that caution remained concentrated in the chip segment.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 ended the trading session with a gain of 0,42%. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rose 1,72%, while the CSI 300, from mainland China, posted an increase of 0,74%. In Taiwan, an important hub of the global semiconductor industry, the Taiex fell 0,91%, following the sector's weakness.
Overnight, Wall Street ended the trading session with mixed performance. The Dow Jones Industrial Average renewed its all-time high after a U.S. jobs report came in below expectations, strengthening bets that the Federal Reserve may reduce interest rates in the coming months.
On the other hand, the Nasdaq was pressured by the sharp decline in semiconductor companies. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) lost 4,5%, dragged down by the declines of 13,6% in Teradyne and 11,5% in KLA. Nvidia also ended the day down 1,4%, while Micron fell 5,5%.
The S&P 500 closed virtually flat, after renewing its intraday high. Meanwhile, U.S. financial markets remained closed this Friday due to the Independence Day holiday, reducing the expected volume of global trading.
In the commodities market, oil posted a slight increase. WTI futures contracts rose 0,38%, to US$ 68,95 per barrel, while Brent advanced by the same proportion, reaching US$ 72,07.
Investors cautiously followed diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran. Current U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed Iran had “agreed to practically everything we need”, describing the conflict as the “denuclearization of Iran” rather than a broader war.
Trump also highlighted that oil prices near US$ 68 indicated relative market stability and said he did not want a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that a surge in crude oil prices could trigger a depression.
Gold also posted gains after weaker U.S. labor market data reduced expectations of further interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve. The precious metal rose 1,67%, trading at US$ 4.191,69 per ounce, moving to break a streak of five consecutive weeks of losses.