Stocks in Asia were mixed on Friday as tensions in the Middle East continue to linger.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 handed back 204.22 points, or 1%, to 21,258.64. Inpex surged 4.44%.
The yen, often seen as a safe-haven currency, traded at 107.29 against the U.S. dollar after seeing levels above 107.6 yesterday
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index faded 76.72 points, or 0.3%, to 28,473.41, as Hong Kong-listed shares of HSBC listed lower about 1%.
Korean issues headed south, as shares of chipmaker SK Hynix declined 2.1%. South Korea’s S-Oil rose 0.61%.
Australian markets also slipped, with shares of biotechnology firm CSL dropping 3.2% after the company flagged lower Chinese sales in 2020 due to a change in its distribution model.
Shares of oil companies in the region saw gains on Friday. Australia’s Beach Energy jumped 4.81% and Santos advanced 1.41%,
The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.6922 after rising from levels around $0.688 in the previous session.
In other markets
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 added 5.42 points, or 0.1%, to 3,833.94
In Korea, the Kospi index faded 5.67 points, or 0.3%, to 2,125.62
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index jumped 6.89 points, or 0.2%, to 3,321.40
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index gathered 18.76 points, or 0.2%, to 10,803.77
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 regained 36.52 points, or 0.4%, to 10,327.29
In Australia, the ASX 200 ditched 36.83 points, or 0.6%, to 6,650.79
