Asia-Pacific markets in red on Friday, mirroring global market sentiment as investors grappled with further uncertainty from President Donald Trump’s fluctuating tariff policies ahead of the U.S. jobs report. Bangladesh’s annual inflation rate slowed for the third consecutive month to 9.32% in February 2025 from 9.94% in the previous month. Japan ( NKY:IND ) fell 2.26% to below 36,900 on Friday, sliding toward its lowest levels since September . The Japanese yen strengthened past 148 per dollar on Friday, reaching a five-month-high. Japan is set to officially declare the end of long-term deflation, Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa said on Friday, marking a significant shift in the government's economic stance that could help determine the timing of the Bank of Japan’s next interest rate hike. Japan’s foreign reserves increased by $12.65 billion to $1.25 trillion in February 2025, hitting the highest level in five months. China ( SHCOMP ) fell 0.25% struggled for clear direction on Friday but were both set to end the week with gains, and the offshore yuan edged lower to around 7.24 per dollar, extending its losses from the previous session as investors absorbed the latest economic data while remaining wary of escalating global trade tensions. On Friday, official figures revealed that China’s trade surplus surpassed forecasts , surging USD 170.51 billion for January-February 2025, with exports growing by 2.3% and imports shrinking by 8.4%. Hong Kong ( HSI ) fell 0.66% to 24,324 in early trading on Friday, breaking a three-day winning streak amid losses mainly from financials. India ( SENSEX ) fell 0.11% to 74,513 in morning trade on Friday, gaining for the third straight session, supported by metals, media, auto, and pharmaceuticals. Australia ( AS51 ) fell 1.81% closing at 7,948 and reaching its lowest level in six months, driven largely by heavy losses in the banking sector, as Australian banks faced criticism for their inflated valuations, with the sector's price-to-earnings ratio trading at a notable premium compared to global peers. The Australian dollar dipped toward $0.63 on Friday, reversing earlier gains from the week. In the U.S., on Thursday, all three major indexes ended lower over President Donald Trump’s fluctuating tariff policies. U.S. stock futures rose on Friday as investors looked to the highly anticipated monthly jobs report for further insights into the health of the economy: Dow -0.01% ; S&P 500 +0.10% ; Nasdaq +0.20% . On the data front, traders are closely watching Friday's monthly jobs report after ADP data revealed that the US private sector added just 77,000 jobs in February, the smallest increase in seven months. Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) prices weakened below $90,000 on Friday, giving back gains from earlier in the week despite US President Donald Trump signing an executive order to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Currencies: ( JPY:USD ), ( CNY:USD ), ( AUD:USD ), ( INR:USD ), ( HKD:USD ), ( NZD:USD ). More on Asia: China's trade surplus surpass forecasts, exports grow by 2.3% and imports shrink Australia’s trade balance exceeds expectations, export growth accelerates and imports decline Australia’s economy grows by 0.6% in Q4, surpasses expectations Japan’s services sector grows at fastest pace in six months, driven by strong demand China services growth unexpectedly strengthens; sets 2025 GDP growth target around 5%
