US Jobs, Federal Reserve Outlooks Lift Asian Stock Markets

06:41 AM EDT, 09/05/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets gained ground on Friday after recent soft US jobs market reports bolstered outlooks that the Federal Reserve may reduce interest rates this month, a move that could prompt central bank easing in the Asia Pacific region as well.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo finished in the green, as did most other regional exchanges.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 finished up 1% after the Trump Administration formally implemented a Japan-US trade deal reached in July, holding most tariffs at 15%.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 438.48 to 43,018.75, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 171 to 52.

Leading the upside was Sumitomo Pharma, up 10.6%, while delivery service Yamato declined 3.1%.

In economic news, real wages in Japan rose by 0.5% on the year in July, reported the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MLHW).

Separately, average monthly consumption expenditures for two-or-more-person households in Japan rose a real 1.4% on year in July, reported the Statistics Bureau.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index finished up 1.4% as traders weighed central bank prospects and equity values after recent bear moves.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 359.47 to 25,417.98, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 76 to seven. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 2% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 1.3%.

Leading the upside was Xinyi Solar, gaining 7.5%, while New Oriental Education & Technology fell 1.5%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 1.2% to 3,812.51.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 0.1%; the Taiwan TWSE gained1.3%; the Australian ASX 200 advanced 0.5%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.2%, and the Thai Set rose 1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was steady.

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