Asian markets mixed; Wall Street hits record high; Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumps 1.6%

Asian markets were mixed on Friday as investors stayed cautious despite Wall Street hitting record highs.Chinese markets led regional gains, with the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong surging 1.6% to 24,402.41 and the Shanghai Composite rising 1.1% to 3,546.50, supported by fresh signs of economic stimulus and buying in tech and real estate sectors.However, Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined marginally by 0.1% to 39,662.19, whilst South Korea’s Kospi registered a slight increase of 0.1% to 3,185.15.In Oceania and South Asia, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 decreased 0.1% to 8,583.40, whilst India’s BSE Sensex remained unchanged at 83,190.28.Earlier on Thursday, US markets achieved new heights. The positive sentiment was driven by Delta Air Lines’ strong earnings outlook for the rest of 2025, which lifted airline stocks and kicked off the earnings season on a high note.The S&P 500 increased by 0.3%, surpassing its previous week’s record following an encouraging June employment report. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.1%, achieving consecutive record closes, whilst the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4%.Delta’s shares surged 12%, positively affecting other airline stocks, after exceeding market expectations for revenue and profit. The Atlanta-based carrier revised its summer travel outlook more favourably compared to its previous assessment.In Friday’s trading, US benchmark crude oil rose 44 cents to $67.01 per barrel, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, gained 41 cents to $69.05.US dollar strengthened to 146.95 yen, up from 146.20, while the euro slipped to $1.1682 from $1.1704.Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC-USD) surged to a new all-time high on Thursday, crossing $113,000 as investor demand continued to climb.