BEIJING: The main exception was China where stocks reached new highs after a week of roller-coaster action. Shanghai added 1 per cent to clear the 5,000 barrier for the first time since early 2008, while the CSI300 gained 1.1 per cent.
Elsewhere, the mood was subdued with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan down a slim 0.2 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dipped 0.5 per cent, while shares in South Korea lost 0.4 per cent.
In the latest Greek twist, Athens delayed a debt payment to the IMF and instead chose to bundle four payments into a single 1.6 billion euro lump sum which is now due on June 30.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will put creditors’ proposals to parliament from 1500 GMT on Friday, but he has already dubbed the plan “extreme”.
Before that likely contentious meeting gets underway, markets are bracing for the latest reading on US. jobs. Median forecasts in a Reuters poll are for payrolls to rise 225,000 with the jobless rate steady at 5.4 per cent.
