Asia shares mostly gain; traders watching dollar, jobs data
HONG KONG — Asian shares were mostly higher Friday as investors awaited the release later in the day of key U.S. jobs data.
KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.4 per cent to 19,454.33 while South Korea’s Kospi added 0.4 per cent to 2,050.70. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng advanced 0.2 per cent to 22,501.92 and the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.3 per cent to 3,155.65. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was nearly unchanged at 5,755.60. Benchmarks in Southeast Asia were mixed.
SAMSUNG SURPRISE: The South Korean electronics maker posted its fattest quarterly profit in three years, boosting shares by 2 per cent and shoring up stock market sentiment. The company said operating profit surged 50 per cent to 9.2 trillion won ($7.8 billion), surpassing even the most bullish analyst forecasts.
TRUMP AND TOYOTA: Toyota Motor Corp. stock fell 1.5 per cent after President-elect Donald Trump said on Twitter that the Japanese automaker would face a “big border tax” if it goes ahead with plans on a new Mexico plant. Toyota in Japan had no further comments beyond saying that it has been in the U.S. for six decades and its Mexico plant will not affect jobs or production in the U.S.