2018.05.1805:20:00UTC+00Majority of Asian Indexes Close Higher as Investors Weigh in U.S.-Trade Developments

Most of the shares in Asian markets ended higher on Friday, shaking off the Wall Street's weak close as investors digested the most recent over U.S.-China trade news.

Japanese markets ended higher following the release of core consumer price index data, which marginally missed estimates. The Nikkei 225 edged up 0.4 percent or 91..9 points to close at 22,930.36. The broaded Topix rose by 0.38 percent. The gains in Japanese equities came as the yen continued to weaken against the dollar. It was last trading at 110.85 versus the greenback.

The Topix mining and oil subindexes led the increases higher, with majority of insurers and automakers also gaining.

South Korea's Kospi posted a 0.5 percent increase to close at 2,460.65 as Samsung Electronics retained its gains of 0.2 percent. Shipmakers and steelmakers also closed higher.

China markets also settled in positive territory. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index edged up 0.61 percent, with mainland stock indexes also rising. The Shanghai composite ended significantly higher, advancing 1.23 percent to 3,193.05 percent and the Shenzhen composite rose 0.33 percent.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 settled down 0.11 percent at 6, 087.40 as increases in the healthcare and energy subindexes were countered by declines in the materials and financial sectors.

Development in the second round of U.S.-China trade talks in Washington were in focus after reports that China had announced it was stopping an anti-dumping investigation into U.S. sorghum imports. Earlier, the Chinese government offered to reduce its trade deficit with the U.S. by $200 billion, but the report was later denied by China's foreign ministry.