Asia stock trade mostly higher on Friday as investors looked ahead to key U.S. jobs data for clues on interest rates. Japan's Nikkei 225 was the best performer in the region, boosted by a new U.S.-Japan trade deal that lowers tariffs on Japanese goods. Meanwhile, Chinese markets stabilized after a week of profit-taking, with investors now turning their attention to upcoming economic data. President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on semiconductor imports from firms that do not shift production to the U.S., reinforcing his tech strategy. Silver climbed to around $41.8 per ounce on Friday, holding near its strongest levels since 2011. Gold rose to around $3,550 per ounce on Friday, near record levels and on track for a weekly gain of over 3%. Japan ( NKY:IND ) rose 1.00% to around 43,100 and the Topix gained 0.8% to 3,105 on Friday, with Japanese equities rising for a second session. The Japanese yen strengthened toward 148 per dollar on Friday, recouping losses from the previous session, after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order cutting tariffs on Japanese cars to 15% from 27.5% . Japan's nominal wages jumped 4.1% year-over-year in July, beating expectations and marking the fastest growth in seven months. After months of decline, real wages—a measure of purchasing power—grew by 0.5%, the first positive reading since last December. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reaffirmed his intention to remain in office after the U.S. finalized a trade deal lowering auto tariffs, rejecting speculation that the agreement might prompt his resignation. Japan’s foreign reserves climbed by $19.8 billion to $1.32 trillion in August 2025, the highest since July 2022. China ( SHCOMP ) rose 0.86% was little changed around 3,766 while the Shenzhen Component gained 1.1% to 12,252 on Friday, with mainland equities steadying after a sharp selloff in the prior session on renewed regulatory worries, and the offshore yuan edged higher to around 7.13 per dollar on Friday. In China, the PBoC was reportedly set to conduct a CNY 1 trillion outright reverse repo operation to keep ample liquidity. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Thursday that her administration is weighing tariffs on imports from countries lacking trade agreements with Mexico, notably China. However, caution remained ahead of next week’s economic data from China, including trade figures and consumer prices. Hong Kong ( HSI ) rose 1.00% to 25,208 in early trade on Friday, halting a three-day decline after the S&P 500 hit a record close overnight. India ( SENSEX ) fell 0.26% to 80,916 in early trade on Friday, marking the third consecutive session of gains and reaching their highest level since August 25, driven by optimism over strong domestic demand fueled by GST reforms. The Indian rupee hovered around 88.15 per dollar, trading near its record low. India maintained its FY 2025–26 fiscal deficit target at 4.4% of GDP, despite potential revenue losses from recent Goods and Services Tax rate reductions, a senior finance ministry official told The Economic Times on Thursday. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will visit New Delhi next week as talks on a free trade agreement with India make "rapid progress," Indian trade minister Piyush Goyal said Thursday. Looking ahead, India-EU trade talks enter a key phase next week amid the backdrop of recent US tariffs and ongoing trade tensions. Australia ( AS51 ) rose 0.48% to above 8,865 on Friday, extending gains from the previous session. The Australian dollar edged higher to above $0.652 on Friday, trading slightly in a narrow range this week. In the U.S. on Thursday, all three major indexes ended higher as investors weighed fresh labor market data and boosted bets on a Federal Reserve rate cut later this month U.S. stock futures inched higher Friday as investors awaited the August jobs report: Dow +0.12% ; S&P 500 +0.23% ; Nasdaq +0.40% . Currencies: ( JPY:USD ), ( CNY:USD ), ( AUD:USD ), ( INR:USD ), ( HKD:USD ), ( NZD:USD ). More on Asia: Japan's real wages turn positive for first time in eight months to 0.5% in July, nominal wage growth hits 7-month high Trump finalizes Japan trade deal with 15% tariffs Australia’s trade surplus widens to A$7.31B in July; exports hit 21-month high Australia's GDP jumps in Q2 by 0.6% Q/Q, marking 15th straight quarter of growth China services PMI hits 15-month high to 53.0 in August, as new export orders surge
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