A Security member stands guard at one of the entrance of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) Reddit Inc. signage is seen on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor, prior to Reddit IPO, Thursday, March. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in the rain Monday, March 25, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were trading mixed on Monday, as investors awaited further indications the Federal Reserve might begin cutting interest rates.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in the rain Monday, March 25, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were trading mixed on Monday, as investors awaited further indications the Federal Reserve might begin cutting interest rates.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in the rain Monday, March 25, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were trading mixed on Monday, as investors awaited further indications the Federal Reserve might begin cutting interest rates.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in the rain Monday, March 25, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were trading mixed on Monday, as investors awaited further indications the Federal Reserve might begin cutting interest rates.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in the rain Monday, March 25, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were trading mixed on Monday, as investors awaited further indications the Federal Reserve might begin cutting interest rates. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) People walk past the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, March. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) A currency trader passes by the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Asian shares were mixed in muted trading Tuesday, as buying in some markets was soon erased by profit-taking. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Currency traders work near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Asian shares were mixed in muted trading Tuesday, as buying in some markets was soon erased by profit-taking. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Currency traders work near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Asian shares were mixed in muted trading Tuesday, as buying in some markets was soon erased by profit-taking. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) A currency trader works near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Asian shares were mixed in muted trading Tuesday, as buying in some markets was soon erased by profit-taking. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Friday, June 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Pedestrians walk past the Nasdaq building Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in New York. Trump Media, which runs the social media platform Truth Social, now takes Digital World's place on the Nasdaq stock exchange. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Shanghai's SSE Composite, Japan's Nikkei 225 and New York Dow indexes at a securities firm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) People stand near an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) People walk near an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Person walk near an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) People walk past the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, March 27, 2024. World shares are mixed after Wall Street slipped a bit further from its record highs. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) A currency trader moves by the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, March 28, 2024. Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after U.S. stocks broke out of a three-day lull to close at a record.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Currency traders work near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, March 28, 2024. Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after U.S. stocks broke out of a three-day lull to close at a record. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, March 28, 2024. Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after U.S. stocks broke out of a three-day lull to close at a record. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) People walk by the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File) The screen showing the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won is seen at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 29, 2024. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday in quiet holiday trading, with markets closed in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and India, among other places. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) A currency trader talks near the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 29, 2024. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday in quiet holiday trading, with markets closed in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and India, among other places. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) The screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) is seen at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 29, 2024. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday in quiet holiday trading, with markets closed in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and India, among other places. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) A currency trader walks by the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 29, 2024. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday in quiet holiday trading, with markets closed in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and India, among other places. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) A currency trader stands near the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 29, 2024. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday in quiet holiday trading, with markets closed in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and India, among other places. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) A currency trader watches computer monitors near the screen showing the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 29, 2024. Asian shares were mostly higher Friday in quiet holiday trading, with markets closed in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and India, among other places. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares ended mostly higher in quiet, Good Friday holiday trading, while European and U.S. markets were closed.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 0.5% to 40,369.44 and the Kospi in Seoul was little changed, at 2,748.55. The Shanghai Composite index gained 1% to 3,041.17.
Taiwan's Taiex advanced 0.7%. In Bangkok, the SET added 0.5%.
India’s markets were closed for Holi.
The U.S. dollar slipped to 151.35 Japanese yen from 151.38 yen. The euro edged lower, to $1.0774 from $1.0790.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 added 0.1%, to its all-time high set a day before and closed at 5,254.35. It gained 10.2% in the first quarter.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.1% to 39,807.37 and likewise set a record. The Nasdaq composite dipped 0.1% to 16,379.46.
Chemours fell 9.1% despite reporting better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It gave a forecast for earnings before taxes and other items in the current quarter that was below analysts’ expectations.
Also on the losing end was Trump Media & Technology Group. The company behind former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social fell 6.4% after soaring more than 14% in each of the past two days. Its stock has shot well beyond what critics say is reasonable for the money-losing company, driven by fans of Trump and investors hoping to cash in on the mania.
The U.S. stock market has been on a nearly unstoppable run since late October, and the S&P 500 just capped its fifth straight winning month. It has leaped as the U.S. economy has remained remarkably solid despite high interest rates meant to get inflation under control.
And with inflation hopefully still cooling from its peak, the Federal Reserve has indicated it will likely cut interest rates several times later this year.
The U.S. economy’s growth in the final three months of last year was stronger than earlier estimated and another report said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, in the latest indications of resilience.
The hope on Wall Street is still that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting its main interest rate in June. Lower interest rates ease the pressure on the economy, while boosting prices for investments. But progress on bringing inflation down has become bumpier recently, with reports this year coming in hotter than expected.
Analysts said investors are ready to pounce on signs of a recovery in the housing market, with interest and mortgage rates expected to come down later this year.
U.S. benchmark crude oil gained $1.82 to $83.17 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Thursday. Brent crude, the international standard, surged $1.59 to $87.00 per barrel. Trading was closed Friday for the Good Friday holiday.
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