06:35 AM EDT, 06/27/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were choppy on Friday, as traders weighed media reports of a US-China trade deal, and a bulletin from Beijing on declining industrial profits in the mainland.

Tokyo finished in the green, while Hong Kong and Shanghai lost ground. Other regional exchanges were also uneven.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher on global risk-on sentiments and rose to the close, finishing up 1.4% as traders weighed a Beijing-Washington trade framework agreement, with possible signals for a US-Japan deal.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 566.21 to 40,150.79, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 185 to 35.

Leading the upside was Yokohama Rubber, up 7.8%, while electric motor-maker Nidec declined 3.8%.

In economic news, Japan's retail sales in May rose 2.2% on year, and declined a seasonally adjusted 0.2% from April, reported the Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI).

The consumer price index (CPI)-core for the Tokyo region, a gauge that strips out fresh foods, rose 3.1% on year in June, reported the nation's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher, but declined after a mainland China industrial profits report from Beijing pointed to an economy struggling to recover in the post-pandemic era, while facing US tariff hurdles.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 41.25 to 24,284.15 as losing issues outnumbered gainers 45 to 33. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.1% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 1.5%.

Leading the upside was Alibaba Health Information Technology, gaining 6.4%, while China Life Insurance declined 3%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.7% to 3,424.23.

In economic news, industrial profits of manufacturers in mainland China fell 9.1% on year in May, reported the National Bureau of Statistics.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.8%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.4%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.4%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.7%, and the Thai Set declined 2.2%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.4%.