Investors were betting on the US Fed easing back on its rates campaign soon while new China stimulus also contributed to the optimism on trading floors

Investors across the region were cheered by signals from the US that interest rates there have finally peaked

Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel raised investor anxiety levels but hints of rate cuts and rising energy prices helped

Oil prices surged after the Hamas invasion from Gaza, piling pressure on equities, while China’s economic struggles continued to have an impact too

Investor eyes were on the latest US jobs data due out later in the day and which way the Fed will jump in response

Softer US jobs numbers took the pressure off Treasury yields, giving investors across the region a breather and a chance to bargain hunt

US yields soared to 16-year highs, drawing in cash from stocks and into dollars across the region

Investors across the region were preoccupied with the likelihood of persistently high borrowing rates for some time to come

Tokyo’s benchmark surged in early trading before later slumping on a thin trading day with Hong Kong, Seoul and Mumbai all closed for a holiday

There was an air of caution on trading floors at the end of the week with Treasury yields, high interest rates and China’s woes all weighing on sentiment

Investors were downbeat as the odds lengthened on central banks easing back on interest rates any time soon while China’s property sector continued to struggle

Investors were buoyed by news of a possible turnaround on the horizon for China’s manufacturers but forecasts of higher interest rates for longer limited advances