The Asian markets concluded Monday’s trade mostly in red while Hong Kong Stock Exchange was closed today on account of Easter Monday holiday. Japan’s weakest export growth in a year spurred a wider-than-forecast trade deficit in March, adding to challenges for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in steering the economy through the aftermath of an April 1 sales-tax rise. Japan’s trade balance fell to a seasonally adjusted -1.71T, from -1.18T in the preceding month whose figure was revised down from -1.13T. The trade data also helped spur a weaker yen to boost shares. Indonesia’s central bank expects inflation to ease in April, for a rise of 7.2% on the year compared to 7.32% the previous month. Deputy governor Perry Warjiyo stated that the bank estimated inflation on a monthly basis would be below 0.1%. The deputy governor also added that the country’s current account deficit is also expected to stand at below 2% of gross domestic product in the first quarter of the year.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2065.83 | -31.92 | -1.52 |
Hang Seng | - | - | - |
Jakarta Composite | 4892.29 | -4.76 | -0.10 |
KLSE Composite | 1862.93 | 10.24 | 0.55 |
Nikkei 225 | 14512.38 | -3.89 | -0.03 |
Straits Times | 3255.83 | 2.03 | 0.06 |
KOSPI Composite | 1999.22 | -5.06 | -0.25 |
Taiwan Weighted | 8951.19 | -15.47 | -0.17 |