Asia-Pacific markets fall after Trump modifies tariff rates

Asia-Pacific markets fall after Trump modifies tariff rates


Asia-Pacific markets start the day lower

Asia-Pacific markets started the day lower Friday.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 benchmark fell 0.65%, while the broader Topix index was flat as of 8:15 a.m. Singapore time (8:15 p.m. ET Thursday).

In South Korea, the Kospi index dropped 1.73%, while the small-cap Kosdaq declined by 2.1%.

Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark fell 0.94%.

— Amala Balakrishner

Here are the opening calls for the day

Good morning from Singapore and happy Friday.

Investors are assessing the U.S.’s latest tariff developments. They will also be keeping a watch on Japan’s jobs data for June and manufacturing data points for July from several countries in the region.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 40,785, while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 40,760, against the index’s Thursday close of 41,069.82.

Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 24,708 pointing to a weaker open compared with the HSI’s last close of 24,773.33.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day lower with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,632, compared with its last close of 8,742.80.

— Amala Balakrishner

U.S. stock futures slip as investors await jobs report

U.S. equity futures fell in early Asia hours Friday as investors digested the Big Tech earnings overnight and awaited the July jobs report.

Futures tied to the broad-based S&P 500 lost 0.19%, while Nasdaq 100 futures were down 0.3% as of 7:58 a.m. Singapore time (7:58 p.m. Thursday ET). Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were flat.

— Amala Balakrishner

Stocks close lower, S&P 500 slides for third straight session

Stocks closed lower on Thursday, with the S&P 500 posting its third consecutive losing session.

The broad market index slipped 0.37% to close at 6,339.39, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.03% to 21,122.45. The Dow Jones Industrial Average pulled back 330.30 points, or 0.74%, to finish the session at 44,130.98.

— Brian Evans



Source

Dow drops 400 points, Nasdaq craters for a third day as stock sell-off gains steam: Live updates
World

Dow drops 400 points, Nasdaq craters for a third day as stock sell-off gains steam: Live updates

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., Feb. 5, 2026. Brendan McDermid | Reuters U.S. equities fell for another day on Thursday as investors took a risk-off stance, leading popular trades in technology and bitcoin to unravel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 416 points, […]

Read More
Layoffs in January were the highest to start a year since 2009, Challenger says
World

Layoffs in January were the highest to start a year since 2009, Challenger says

An Amazon Go store in New York, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Layoff plans hit their highest January total since the global financial crisis while hiring intentions reached their lowest since the same period, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported Thursday. U.S. employers announced 108,435 layoffs […]

Read More
ECB holds rates but it’s not a ‘non-event,’ economists say. Here’s why
World

ECB holds rates but it’s not a ‘non-event,’ economists say. Here’s why

A projection of a Euro currency sign is pictured on the facade of the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on Dec. 30, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images The European Central Bank on Thursday kept policy rates unchanged for the fifth consecutive meeting, with its key interest […]

Read More