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Hong Kong markets fell over 2% on Friday as Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed, due to uncertainty around the U.S. economy.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slid 2.12% in its final hour of trade, dragged by healthcare and consumer cyclical stocks, while mainland China’s CSI 300 fell 1.52% to close at 3,914.7.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.2% to 37,677.06, and the broad-based Topix added 0.29% to close at 2,804.16, notching a seven-day winning streak.
The Topix had earlier hit an intraday high of 2,818.04, its highest level since July 2024.
South Korea’s Kospi added 0.23% and marked five straight days of gains, while the small-cap Kosdaq dipped 0.79% to end at 719.41.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.16% higher, closing at 7,931.2.
Japan’s headline inflation rose 3.7% year on year in February, easing from a two-year high of 4% seen in January.
U.S. stock futures traded around the flatline after an attempt at extending Wednesday’s Federal Reserve-fueled rally sputtered.
Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 slipped 0.22%, thwarting the market’s attempts at recovery from a monthlong rout to close at 5,662.89. The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.33% to end the day at 17,691.63, weighed down by losses in Apple and Alphabet. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched down 11.31 points, or 0.03%, and closed at 41,953.32.
—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Brian Evans contributed to this report.
