China's trade surplus in June expanded after exports rose and imports declined amid strong demand in the U.S. and the ASEAN region. Hong Kong property developers soared in the hopes that interest rates may be trimmed following the probable U.S. rate cut in September.
Japan's major averages closed at new record highs, driven by optimism surrounding artificial intelligence-linked stocks and the weakness in the yen. Core machinery orders declined from the previous month but rose from a year earlier in May.
The Chinese securities regulator lifted margin requirements for short sellers in the hopes of arresting the persistent market decline and reviving investor sentiment.
Japan indexes traded at new record highs, and producer price inflation was positive for the 41st month in a row. The yen drifted to a new 38-year low as the Bank of Japan remained divided about the future rate path and appropriate level of the yen.
Angle One's cyber security breach may have involved more than what the company disclosed in a filing with exchanges a year ago. Shilpa Medicare's pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Raichur, Karnataka, won approval from Brazil's drug regulator.
Japan's current account surplus expanded for the 16th consecutive month in May. Real wages declined for the 26th consecutive month in May as wage gains lagged overall inflation.
Market indexes in Hong Kong accelerated the previous week's decline amid rising trade tensions with the European Union, policymakers' limited room for additional financial measures, and the persistent weakness in housing market.
Benchmark indexes in Tokyo trimmed weekly gains, but household spending unexpectedly declined in May after higher prices dented consumer appetite for non-discretionary items.
The Hang Seng index trimmed weekly gains, and the CSI 300 index extended weekly losses ahead of the Third Plenum next week. The European Union imposed additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
China stocks lacked direction, and investors shifted their focus to the upcoming earnings season. Property transactions showed strength in the large cities amid a wider malaise across the nation.
Tech and retail stocks supported the market advance for the fourth session in a row in Tokyo. Japan's service sector growth contracted for the first time in eight months, according to a private survey.
