Asian stocks on Friday ended a tumultuous week on a calm note with most markets advancing after the biggest decline in eight weeks.
The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index rose to 150.79, down 0.03 percent from last week’s 150.84.
The weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange on Friday closed down 21.83 points, or 0.22 percent, at 9,947.62. The TAIEX is down 0.4 percent from last week’s 9,986.82 points.
Japanese stocks climbed on Friday even as the yen strengthened against the US dollar.
Australia’s ASX 200 dropped a third consecutive day, posting its worst week in more than six months.
Indonesian stocks surged after S&P Global Ratings raised the country’s credit rating to investment grade, bringing it in line with the other two main rating companies.
Singapore Airlines Ltd plunged the most since August 2011 after posting a surprise net loss in the fourth quarter, while Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd (阿里健康) jumped as much as 14 percent on plans to buy a nutritional products business from its parent company.
Hong Kong stocks edged up on Friday, as Chinese money continued to flow into the territory’s share market, while index heavyweight Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊) closed at an all-time high.
Sentiment was also aided by an overnight recovery on Wall Street amid political troubles in Washington.
The Hang Seng index rose 0.2 percent to 25,174.87, while the China Enterprises Index was unchanged at 10,267.39 points.
For the week, the indices were roughly flat.
The market has been hovering near 21-month highs, as Chinese money poured into Hong Kong stocks.
On Friday, Chinese investors used 25 percent of the daily quota under the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect to buy Hong Kong equities.
Most sectors rose, with IT and property shares among the leading gainers.
India’s SENSEX on Friday rose 0.2 percent and the Nifty 50 Index added 0.1 percent.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slid 0.2 percent.
Japan’s TOPIX rose 0.3 percent and Nikkei 225 gained 0.2 percent.
Singapore’s Straits Times Index and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI both rose 0.1 percent.
The SET Index in Thailand added 0.4 percent, the Philippines PCOMP rose 0.1 percent and the Vietnam Stock Index gained 0.9 percent.
Additional reporting by CNA
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