Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 1.36%, Shanghai Composite up 0.12% Hang Seng down 0.97% ASX down 0.05%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,618.82 (-1.43%) Silver at $81.695 (-4.26%), Brent Oil at $107.02 (1.23%), WTI Oil at $102.51 (1.35%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.517, UK 10-year yield at 5.0000, Germany 10-year yield at 3.0484
News & Data:
- (USD) Core Retail Sales m/m 0.7% to 0.7% expected
Markets Update:
South Korea’s benchmark Kospi erased earlier gains and fell 1.35% on Friday after briefly touching a record high above 8,000, as broader Asia-Pacific markets traded lower amid investor caution over ongoing U.S.-China talks. Traders closely monitored the second day of high-level discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, with markets watching for signs of easing trade and technology tensions.
South Korea’s small-cap Kosdaq dropped 2%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 0.9% and the Topix ended flat. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.25%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.39%, and China’s CSI 300 was little changed.
The Kospi had surged past 7,000 earlier this month after Samsung Electronics crossed the $1 trillion market capitalization mark. However, investors remain concerned about growing concentration risks in AI-related stocks, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix accounting for over 42% of the index in May.
Samsung shares fell 1% after its labor union announced plans to resume wage negotiations in June. Meanwhile, Xi warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could seriously damage U.S.-China relations.
In the U.S., stock futures were mostly flat after Wall Street hit fresh record highs overnight.
Upcoming Events:
- 12:30 PM GMT – CAD Manufacturing Sales m/m
The post Friday 15th May 2026: Asian Markets Slip as Trump-Xi Talks Weigh on Investor Sentimentv first appeared on IC Your Trading Edge | Official Blog.