06:39 AM EDT, 08/29/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were mixed and muted on Friday, as traders weighed earnings reports from China-based enterprises and a slug of tempered economic releases from Tokyo.

Hong Kong and Shanghai edged higher, while Tokyo finished in the red. Other regional exchanges were also choppy.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower and could not recover, finishing off 0.3% on a tepid national economic outlook, and a stronger yen that undercut export issues.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 110.32 to 42,718.47, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 152 to 68.

Leading the upside was advertising-PR shop Dentsu, up 5.9%, while retailer Ryohin Keikakau declined 3.1%.

In economic news, Japan retail sales rose by modest 0.3% on-year in July, slowing from a 1.9% on-year gain in June, while Japan's industrial output declined 0.9% on year in July, and fell a seasonally adjusted 1.6% from June, reported the Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry.

Meanwhile, the nation's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July declined to 2.3%, down from 2.5% in June, reported the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication.

Also, Tokyo's consumer price index-core (CPI-core), that excludes fresh food, rose 2.5% on year in August, cooling from a 2.9% on-year gain in July, reported the Statistics Bureau.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher, waffled but closed up 0.3% as traders assessed the values after earnings reports.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 78.80 to 25,077.62, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 52 to 32. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 0.5% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 0.8%.

Leading the upside was BYD Electronics International, gaining 7.3% after reporting earnings, while China Mengniu Dairy declined 4%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.4% to 3,857.93.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.3%; the Taiwan TWSE was flat; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.1%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.4%, and the Thai Set declined 1.1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.4%