US lender First Republic Bank’s struggles continued to unsettle investors already fearing an economic downturn

The First Republic Bank’s woes troubled investors while positive news from Google and Microsoft boosted sentiment in tech-heavy Hong Kong

Japan’s Nikkei reached its highest point since last August while mainland China stocks slumped for a fifth straight session

Traders across the region kept their powder dry with a deluge of earnings reports dropping this week and some key economic figures too

Investors were preoccupied with the prospects of the world’s leading two economies as well as concerns over the AI bubble bursting soon

Japan’s Nikkei and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng were on the front foot thanks to tech optimism but elsewhere China’s uneven recovery concerned investors

Japan’s Nikkei ended an eight-day rally as its tech stocks suffered while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng also retreated despite hopeful signs for its technology firms

China reported higher-than-expected quarterly growth but that boost was offset by a slower-than-hoped output upturn and a property investment drop

China's March home price data and signs of a corporate earnings bounceback boosted the mood on Asia’s trading floors

Japan’s Nikkei and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng both rallied with investors buoyed by hopeful signals from the US and China

Asia investors were divided on Thursday with worrying signs on US inflation dampening the mood while consumer demand recovered in some economies

Investors across the region were also keeping their powder dry ahead of a crucial US inflation report due out later in the day