In Asian Equity Markets shares traded mostly higher on Friday, with investor confidence improving amid a de-escalation in recent trade and geopolitical tensions. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.59 percent, paring larger gains seen earlier, and the broader Topix advanced 0.65 percent, with financial and materials stocks climbing. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi edged up by 0.57 percent, helped by a strong showing in technology names. The positive sentiment was also seen in Australia. The S&P/ASX 200 firmed 0.4 percent, with health care and materials among the top performing sectors. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was off by 0.07 percent, giving up gains seen earlier.

In Currency Markets the US dollar neared a 1-1/2-month high against the yen on Friday, as an improvement in investor risk appetite buoyed equities and pushed U.S. yields significantly higher. The dollar was steady at 107.385 yen after gaining more than 0.5 percent overnight. A rise above 107.490 yen would take it to its highest since late February. The greenback has gained about 0.3 percent versus the yen this week. The Hong Kong dollar was at 7.8499 per dollar, after interventions on Thursday and early on Friday by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) nudged it away from the 7.8500 threshold, the lower end of its trading band.

In Commodities Markets oil prices edged lower on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump tempered remarks warning of an imminent missile attack on Syria, but were still set for their biggest weekly gains in more than 8 months. NYMEX crude for May delivery was down 21 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $66.86 a barrel. For the week, the contract is set to post a gain of nearly 8 percent, following two weeks of declines. London Brent crude was down 24 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $71.78, and is up about 7 percent for the week. Both benchmarks are set for their biggest weekly gains since last July after jumping to a more than three-year high earlier in the week on tensions over Syria and shrinking global oil inventories.

In US Equity Markets stocks climbed on Thursday as investors anticipated a strong earnings season and as U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that a military strike on Syria may not be imminent ratcheted down geopolitical worries. The S&P 500 has now recouped nearly all its losses from earlier this year. The S&P 500 gained 0.83 percent, to 2,663.99, and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.01 percent, to 7,140.25. The technology sector rose 1.3 percent, adding the most gains to the S&P. Delta topped profit estimates, sending its shares 2.9 percent higher and boosting other airline stocks. BlackRock gained 1.5 percent after the asset manager’s quarterly profit rose more than expected.

In Bond Markets Japanese government bond prices fell across the board on Friday as improved investor risk appetite in the broader markets lifted equities and curbed demand for safe-haven debt. The five-year JGB yield was half a basis point higher at minus 0.115 percent. The benchmark 10-year yield also rose half a basis point, to 0.035 percent. U.S. Treasury yields climbed on Thursday as risk appetite improved and geopolitical tensions eased after President Donald Trump said a possible attack on Syria may not be imminent, contrary to what he signaled on Wednesday. The U.S. 10-year yields rose to 2.833 percent, from 2.79 percent late on Wednesday.