05:51 AM EST, 02/07/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets churned on Friday as traders watched foreign exchange rates and trade issues, and looked for clues to Beijing's plans for economic stimulus in 2025.

Hong Kong and Shanghai gained, while Tokyo finished in the red. Other regional exchanges were also mixed.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower and could not recover, finishing off 0.7%, as a stronger yen undercut export issues.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 279.51 to 38,787.02 as losing issues outnumbered gainers 137 to 84.

Leading the upside was online marketplace Mercari, up 21%, while camera-house Nikon declined fell 9.3%, with both moves following earnings results.

In economic news, Japan's leading economic indicators index, which incorporates such metrics as job offers and consumer sentiment, increased to 108.9 in December from 107.8 in November, reported the Cabinet Office.

In other news, the Bank of Japan, the nation's central bank, should raise its policy interest rate, to near 1% from the current 0.5% sometime in the latter part of 2025, said BoJ board member Naoki Tamura, reported The Mainichi newspaper.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened evenly and rose to the close, finishing up 1.2% as traders again favored tech issues.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 241.92 to 21,133.54, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 46 to 34. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 1.8% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 1.1%.

Leading the upside was Geely Automobile, gaining 8.1%, while Sinopharm declined 3.3%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 1% to 3,303.67.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.8%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.7%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.1%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.8%, and the Thai Set inclined 1.6%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.3%