The Asian markets concluded Thursday’s trade mostly in green, with the benchmark indices poised to extend a six-year high, after a preliminary industry survey showed China’s manufacturing sector in solid expansion territory. Hong Kong stocks rose, with the city’s benchmark index gaining to a three-year high, as a gauge of mainland manufacturing topped analyst estimates. HSBC’s China flash manufacturing PMI for July rose to 52.0, a jump from the June reading of 50.7 which indicated that the economy is finally turning around. A sub-index measuring new orders, a gauge of demand at home and abroad, hit a 18-month high of 53.7, while the sub-index for output also rose to a 16-month high in June. The employment index also improved from May, though it was still a shade under 50, which implies that jobs are still being lost in the manufacturing sector. Japan’s trade balance fell to a seasonally adjusted -1.08T, from -0.86T in the preceding month. Hong Kong Trade Balance fell to a seasonally adjusted -43.1B, from -42.4B in the preceding month. South Korean GDP fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.6%, from 3.9% in the preceding month.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2105.06 | 26.57 | 1.28 |
Hang Seng | 24141.50 | 169.63 | 0.71 |
Jakarta Composite | 5098.64 | 5.41 | 0.11 |
KLSE Composite | 1877.05 | 5.22 | 0.28 |
Nikkei 225 | 15284.42 | -44.14 | -0.29 |
Straits Times | 3353.89 | 13.19 | 0.39 |
KOSPI Composite | 2026.62 | -1.70 | -0.08 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9527.54 | 28.18 | 0.30 |