On February 27, 2024, a customer bought seasonings in a supermarket in Tokyo.
Kazuhiro Noki | AFP | Getty Images
The Nikkei 225 index topped 41,000 points on Friday, hitting a record high, as Japan’s inflation accelerated in February, while other Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed.
Japan’s overall inflation rate was 2.8% in February, up from 2.2% in February. Core inflation, which excludes fresh food prices, was also 2.8%, compared with 2% last month.
The Bank of Japan in its monetary policy statement “We will continue to steadily achieve the price stability target of 2%,” he said on Tuesday.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index It rose 0.55% to break the 41,000-point mark, and the Topix Index also rose 0.42%, setting a new record.
South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.12%, reversing its lead from Asia on Thursday, with the small-cap Kosdaq down 0.23%.
In Australia, S&P/ASX 200 Index down 0.29%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index futures were quoted at 16,747 points. The index rose nearly 2% on Thursday to close at 16,863.1 points, and is expected to open weakly.
Overnight, all three major U.S. stock indexes hit new highs, continuing their gains since Thursday, after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady and maintained expectations for a rate cut in 2024.
this Dow Jones Industrial Average It rose 269.24 points, or 0.68%, to close at 39,781.37 points.this S&P 500 Index rose 0.32% to close at 5,241.53, while Nasdaq Index It rose slightly by 0.20% to close at 16,401.84.
“People are now confident in the Fed that a rate cut is coming,” said Jay Woods, chief global strategist at Liberty Capital Markets. “We’re in a good position and the market believes the narrative of a smooth landing. Whatever the Fed says, the market is still listening. music in.”
—CNBC’s Samantha Subin and Alex Harring contributed to this report
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