Asian shares picked up while the Nikkei closed in Red

Asian shares increased on Friday, boosted by rising Chinese blue-chips and a ruling by the European Central Bank to maintain stimulus. At the same time, investors largely ignored the impact of a possible US capital gains tax hike.

In Asia on Friday, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan shook off early small losses to advance by 0.43%.

Chinese blue-chip shares climbed by 0.51%, supported by green and healthcare stocks. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.54%, and Seoul’s KOSPI rose by 0.2%.

Japan indices settled lower

The Nikkei in Tokyo has imitated the corrective with which Wall Street closed yesterday and slid by 0.57%. Declines in the rail and bus, paper and pulp, and real estate sectors pushed the indices lower. 

The Tokyo stock market was weighed down by reports of the intention of the US President Administration to propose an increase in the capital gains tax.

On the other hand, investors worried about the potential impact of the third phase of health emergency in Japan due to COVID-19. It will affect Tokyo and three other areas of the country, where around a quarter of the population lives and represent a third of its economy.

The session’s best performers on the Nikkei 225 were ANA Holdings Inc, which was by 3.38% or 77.5 points to 2,369.5 at the close. Afterward, it was followed by Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. with an increase of 2.66%, or 76.0 points, to close at 2,932.0. Central Japan Railway Co. advanced by 2.53%, 385.0 points, ending the session at 15,630.0.

At the bottom of the index was Z Holdings Corp slipping by 3.87%, or 21.0 points, to close at 521.0. Meanwhile, Panasonic Corp yielded 3.47%, 47.0 points, and closed at 1,309.0. Komatsu Ltd. dropped by 3.17%, 103,0 points, ending at 3,148.0.

Reds beat green numbers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2,218 versus 1,278, and 249 were flat.

Meanwhile, the Nikkei Volatility, which estimates the volatility of options on the Nikkei 225, settled flat, 0% to 22.56.