Asian markets down as traders await US jobs report
亞洲市場下跌，交易員等待美國就業報告

Asian markets were largely down on Friday, a day after Tokyo's indexes hit record highs, with traders preparing for a key US jobs report.
亞洲市場在星期五大多下跌，東京指數創下歷史新高後的一天，交易商正準備迎接關鍵的美國就業報告。

Japan's Nikkei 225 ended flat while the broader Topix index, which a day earlier surpassed its previous peak set in 1989, also shed some of its gains.
日本的日經 225 指數收平，而更廣泛的 TOPIX 指數則在一天前超過了 1989 年設定的前峰值，也損失了部分收益。

"The fact that the Topix, which indicates the overall performance of the Japanese market, has in turn broken its own record, is news of great importance," said analyst Takuma Ikemoto of the Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Lab.
「顯示日本市場整體表現的 Topix 指數再次打破自己的紀錄，這是一則非常重要的消息，」東海東京情報實驗室的分析師池本拓馬表示。

The capitalisation of Japan's Prime market has also increased significantly, showing "that Japanese companies are constantly strengthening their ability to generate profits and... indicates that the Japanese stock market has entered a new phase", he said.
日本主要市場的資本化也顯著增加，顯示「日本企業不斷強化其盈利能力...表明日本股市已進入新階段」。

The yen continued strengthening against the dollar after hitting its lowest level in nearly four decades.
日圓在觸及近 40 年來最低水平後繼續對美元走強。

Samsung Electronics' forecast that second-quarter profits would beat expectations by more than 25 percent, due to rising chip prices and growing demand for generative AI, sent its share price higher and spurred the market in Seoul.
三星電子預測第二季度利潤將超出預期 25％以上，這是由於晶片價格上漲和生成式人工智慧需求增加，推高了其股價並刺激了首爾市場。

But shares in Hong Kong ended a four-day winning streak, while stocks in mainland China were trading lower after the European Union slapped extra provisional duties of up to 38 percent on Chinese electric car imports on Thursday.
但香港股市結束了為期四天的連續上漲，而中國內地股市在歐盟星期四對中國電動汽車進口課徵高達 38%的額外臨時關稅後交易下跌。

A European Commission probe launched last year concluded that state subsidies for Chinese EV manufacturers were unfairly undercutting European rivals, which Brussels wants to shield as they transition from thermal to electric power.
歐洲委員會去年啟動的調查結束後得出結論，認為對中國電動汽車製造商的國家補貼不公平地削弱了歐洲競爭對手，布魯塞爾希望保護這些競爭對手在從熱能轉向電動動力的過程中。

Chinese markets have suffered losses for weeks, with the world's second-largest economy beset by a debt crisis in the property sector, persistently low consumption and high youth unemployment.
中國市場連續幾周遭受損失，全球第二大經濟體受到房地產部門的債務危機、持續低消費和高青年失業率的困擾。

European markets built on gains Friday after calming electoral news in the United Kingdom and France.London, Paris and Frankfurt all started higher.
歐洲市場在周五建立了收益，此前英國和法國的選舉消息令人鎮定。倫敦、巴黎和法蘭克福都開盤上漲。

Trading in Europe was dominated by polls in the UK and France.
歐洲的交易主要由英國和法國的民意調查所主導。

The return of the main opposition Labour Party to power in Britain ended 14 years of Tory rule and strengthened the pound even before results were announced.

An expected period of stability has ushered in optimism for investors after a prime ministerial game of musical chairs in Downing Street.

In France, efforts to block the far-right from taking over the government have boosted the euro and breathed life into European markets.

But analysts remain wary that the second-biggest economy in the European Union could be headed for a period of political deadlock if there is no overall winner in the polls.

Investor sentiment was also lifted Thursday as softer US labour market data gave the Federal Reserve room to cut interest rates, with another key jobs report due Friday.

"We expect US labour market data will show more signs of cooling in June," Alvin Tan of RBC Capital Markets said.

Gains were capped, with Wall Street shut for the July 4 Independence Day holiday in the United States.

- Key figures around 0720 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: FLAT percent at 40,912.37 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 17,850.47

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 2,949.93 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,264.72 points

Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,716.54

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0823 from $1.0813

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2768 from $1.2765

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 160.82 yen from 161.16 yen

Euro/pound: UP at 84.76 pence from 84.69 pence

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.4 percent at $83.91 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $87.33 per barrel

New York - Dow: Closed for public holiday

mac-ssy/pbt