06:49 AM EDT, 08/15/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were choppy Friday, as traders weighed economic releases from Beijing and Tokyo, and parsed earnings reports.

Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the green, while Hong Kong fell back. Other regional exchanges were also mixed, with trading floors in Mumbai and Seoul closed on holiday.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher and rose to the close, finishing up 1.7% after an official Q2 report indicated the island economy was expanding faster than expected.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 729.05 to 43,378.31, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 177 to 46.

Leading the upside was industrial-machinery maker Ebara, up 11%, while Ad-PR agency Dentsu slid nearly 13%, with both moves following earnings reports.

In economic news, Japan's real gross domestic product expanded at a 1% annual rate in Q2, boosted by private nonresidential investment and exports, reported the Cabinet Office.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and could not recover, finishing off 1%, as traders weighed Beijing reports indicating a still-sluggish economic recovery underway mainland China, marred by a weak property sector. An unfolding mixed-earnings season contributed to skeptical investor sentiments.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 249.25 to 25,270.07, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 60 to 25. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.6% on the day, but the Mainland Properties Index rose 0.8%.

Leading the upside was JD Health International, gaining 12%, while Sun Hung Kai Properties declined 5.4%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.8% to 3,696.77.

In economic news, July retail sales in China rose by a tempered 3.7% on year, less than the 4.8% on-year gain in June and down from the 6.4% on-year rise in May, reported the National Bureau of Statistics, or NBS.

New home prices in China in July were down 11% from the peak in early 2022, while used home prices are down 19%, reported the NBS. New home prices in July slid by 0.3% on month, while used home prices fell 0.6%.

China's investment in fixed assets was somewhat lacking in the year through July, up a modest 1.6% year-over-year, and down from the 2.8% on-year, year-to-date growth logged in June, reported the NBS.

A relative bright spot for the China economy in July was output value added of industrial enterprises that grew by 5.7% on year, added the NBS.

On the other regional exchanges, the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.4%; the Australian ASX 200 added 0.7%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.6%, and the Thai Set declined 0.6%.