Asian bourses closed on a positive note on Friday, tracking Wall Street's strong performance on Thursday. Gains were limited as markets suspected currency market interventions by the Japanese government.
The persisting geopolitical stress from the Middle East also capped gains. Markets in China, Hong Kong and South Korea were closed for a holiday.
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Market Analysis
May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.