Investing.com - Asian Pacific sharemarkets started Friday's session in positive territory, following an upward trend in US benchmarks.
After the first hour of Friday's trading, S&P/ASX 200, KOSPI 200, and Nikkei 225 each registered a 0.4%, 0.9% and 1.7% increase respectively.
In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued its winning streak for the seventh consecutive trading day, rising 334 points or 0.85%. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite also gained, with increases of 0.51% and 0.27% respectively.
As the first quarter earnings season approaches its end, the majority of S&P 500 companies have reported satisfactory results and promising guidance for the current quarter.
Concerns regarding the Federal Reserve have been momentarily sidelined as the Labor Department reported an uptick in jobless claims last week, suggesting some cooling in the job market. However, economists have highlighted that this increase, primarily driven by a rebound in claims filed in New York, may be volatile.
In the commodities market, Brent crude oil saw a 0.6% increase to US$84.10 per barrel, while gold prices rose by 1.6% to US$2,346.33.
Chinese shares closed higher, buoyed by gains in property and semiconductor stocks, following an increase in China's exports in April. However, doubts about other aspects of China's economy may temper investor optimism. Among the major stocks, SMIC and Poly Developments saw increases, while China Mobile and China Telecom experienced declines.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed 1.2% higher, driven by property and semiconductor stocks. Major gainers included Lenovo Group and SMIC, while Orient Overseas (International), Country Garden Services, and Longfor Group also saw increases.
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average, however, declined by 0.3% due to losses in semiconductor and electronics-related stocks. Rohm, Trend Micro, and Tokyo Electron were among the biggest losers.
Indian shares closed lower, primarily dragged down by industrial and finance stocks. Larsen & Toubro, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finance, and Bajaj Finserv were among the major losers.
In the U.K., the FTSE 100 Index rose by 0.3%, with Harbour Energy PLC, Hays PLC, and Genuit Group PLC leading the gains. However, 3i (LON:III) Group PLC, Baltic Classifieds Group PLC, and Paragon Banking Group PLC registered declines.
European shares ended higher on Thursday, with the Stoxx Europe 600 index, the CAC 40, and the DAX 40 all registering gains.