Global growth concerns weigh on Asian markets, Japan bucks trend.

Most Asian share markets were subdued on Friday due to soft economic data from the US and China, which fuelled concerns of a global slowdown. However, Japanese shares outperformed, with the Nikkei climbing 0.9% to its highest level since November 2021, as investors cheered announcements of increased shareholder returns during earnings season. China's bluechips fell 1.1% and looked poised to lose 1.7% for the week, while Hong Kong stocks were down 0.7% on the day. The weaker global growth and return of bank worries have created a messy background for share markets and investment markets. However, the silver lining in the cloud is that inflationary pressures are diminishing, which takes pressure off central banks, notwithstanding the Bank of England continuing to hike.