Asia-Pacific markets set to open mixed as investors digest Trump-Xi call

CNBC

2 days ago

The view of Nanjing Road East Pedestrian Mall, the main shopping street in Shanghai.
Bruce Yuanyue Bi | The Image Bank | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were set to trade mixed Friday as investors assessed the phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump and Xi spoke on Thursday and agreed that officials from the U.S. and China will meet soon to continue negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing trade war.
Trump said he had a "very good" call with Xi for about 90 minutes, which focused "almost entirely" on trade.
The call yielded a "very positive conclusion for both Countries," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to fall at the open, with the futures contract in Chicago at 37,460 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 37,440 against the index's Thursday close of 37,554.49.
Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index stood at 23,822, pointing to a lower open. The Hang Seng Index had closed at 23,906.97 in the previous session.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day slightly higher, with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,540, compared to its last close of 8,538.9.
"The U.S.‑China agreement to de‑escalate tensions, and the recent phone call between Trump and Xi, shows both countries have an economic 'pain threshold," said Luke Yeaman, chief economist and head of global economics and markets research at Commonwealth Bank.
While the call takes some severe downside scenarios off the table, tensions will remain high and more bouts of escalation are still on the cards, Yeaman wrote in a note published Friday. "In the longer term, both will continue to push for more economic independence."
U.S. futures were mostly calm ahead of a key jobs report that is expected to shed light on the health of the U.S. economy.
Overnight stateside, the three major averages closed lower. The S&P 500 fell, spurred by a drop in shares of electric vehicle maker Tesla. The broad market index dipped 0.53% and closed at 5,939.30, while the Nasdaq Composite pulled back 0.83% to end at 19,298.45. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 108 points, or 0.25%, to settle at 42,319.74.
— CNBC's Pia Singh and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.
The three leading indexes finished Thursday's session in the red.
The S&P 500 plummeted 0.53% to close at 5,939.30, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.83%, ending at 19,298.45. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 108 points, or 0.25%, to finish at 42,319.74.
— Sean Conlon