The iconic Mount Fuji stands majestically against Tokyo’s Shinjuku skyline on a crisp Friday, February 14, 2025. This image was captured by Kiyoshi Ota for Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Photo Credit: Bloomberg | Getty Images
Wednesday saw a mixed performance across Asia-Pacific markets as investors digested the latest trade figures out of Japan.
Japan reported a 6.1% increase in exports for November compared to the previous year, according to data from the country’s finance ministry released on Wednesday. This significant rise surpassed the economists’ forecast of a 4.8% increase polled by Reuters and outpaced the 3.6% growth observed in October.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index experienced a slight dip, slipping 0.14%, while the Topix index saw a decline of 0.37%. In contrast, South Korea’s Kospi index gained 0.5%, and the smaller Kosdaq index rose by 0.66%.
Notably, SBI Shinsei Bank, a Japanese financial institution, witnessed a surge, climbing over 12% following its 322 billion yen ($2.1 billion) IPO. The shares were introduced to the market at a price of 1,450 yen each.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.21%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were at 25,219, pointing to a flat open, compared with the HSI’s last close of 25,235.41.
