Major Asian markets end mixed, European indices trade lower ahead of US tariff deadline –

Major Asian markets ended mixed today as investors awaited details on trade deals ahead of US President Donald Trump’s deadline for higher tariffs next week. South Korea’s Kospi index dropped almost two per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined over 0.6 per cent, and Singapore’s Straits Times index dipped 0.15 per cent. Conversely, China’s Shanghai Composite index added over 0.3 per cent, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 index closed nearly flat.
 
Major European indices were trading down in intra-day trade. France’s CAC dropped almost one per cent, Germany’s DAX was trading nearly 0.7 per cent down, and London’s FTSE 100 dipped over 0.2 per cent when reports last came in.