Asia markets live: Japan CPI, U.S. economy

Hong Kong markets fell almost 2% on Friday as Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed, due to uncertainty around the U.S. economy.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 1.90%, dragged by healthcare and consumer cyclical stocks, while mainland China’s CSI 300 fell 1.11%.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.2% to 37,677.06, and the broad-based Topix added 0.29% to close at 2,804.16, notching a seven-day winning streak.

The Topix had earlier hit an intraday high of 2,818.04, its highest level since July 2024.

South Korea’s Kospi added 0.23% and marked five straight days of gains, while the small-cap Kosdaq dipped 0.79% to end at 719.41.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.16% higher, closing at 7,931.2.

Japan’s headline inflation rose 3.7% year on year in February, easing from a two-year high of 4% seen in January.

U.S. stock futures traded around the flatline after an attempt at extending Wednesday’s Federal Reserve-fueled rally sputtered.

Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 slipped 0.22%, thwarting the market’s attempts at recovery from a monthlong rout to close at 5,662.89. The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.33% to end the day at 17,691.63, weighed down by losses in Apple and Alphabet. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched down 11.31 points, or 0.03%, and closed at 41,953.32.

—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Brian Evans contributed to this report.