Asia report: Markets mixed on quiet Friday

Markets in Asia were mixed on Friday, after a quiet start as traders struggled for direction following the Thanksgiving holiday in the US.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was up 0.12% at 22,550.85, as the yen weakened 0.22% against the dollar to JPY 111.46.

Manufacturers and carmakers saw the biggest losses, although the bigger technology stocks were mixed.

Nintendo was 3.55% higher, Sharp fell 1.26% and SoftBank Group added 1.4%.

The country’s steel data falsification scandal extended to Mitsubishi Materials, it was acknowledged by the company on Friday, after competitor Kobe Steel was implicated in similar falsification several weeks ago.

Shares in Mitsubishi Materials closed down 8.07%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite added 0.06% to 3,353.82, and the smaller, technology-heavy Shenzhen Composite fell 0.09% to close at 1,922.72.

Insurers were the losers in China, while airlines flew higher, led by Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines, which was 4.98% firmer by the end of the session.

South Korea’s Kospi was up 0.28% at 2,544.33, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong was 0.52% higher at 29,866.32.

Financials were under the cosh in Seoul, while blue-chip technology stocks were led higher by Samsung Electronics, which tacked on 0.29%.

Oil prices were higher, with Brent crude last up 0.35% to $63.77 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate 0.36% higher at $58.76.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was 0.06% below the waterline at 5,982.55, led lower by the industrials and information technology sectors, which were 0.42% and 0.74% lower respectively.

Middle-market department store chain Myer finished ahead 1.41% after the company’s annual general meeting.

E-commerce giant Amazon was also reported to have soft-launched in Australia on Friday, although the Seattle-based conglomerate would neither confirm nor deny whether they had.

Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 was up 0.4% at 8,130.29, led by retirement property developer Ryman, which was 3.7% higher.

Both of the down under dollars were weaker, with the Aussie last off 0.11% against the greenback at AUD 1.3129, and the Kiwi retreating 0.2% to NZD 1.4543.