Asian Shares Mostly Fall Amid Improved US Inflation Data

Asian shares mostly fell on Friday after US inflation data improved, but US futures remained little changed. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) declined 0.5% to a new low for the year. Currency traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul.

Despite the decline in Asian shares, some sectors performed better than others. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Co., both major South Korean tech companies, saw their stock prices fall 1.6% and 0.8%, respectively. The inflation data released earlier this week showed a 3.2% year-over-year increase, which was lower than expected.

Market analysts attributed the mixed performance to various factors, including the impact of global economic trends on local markets. A person walks in front of an electronic stock chart board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm in Tokyo.