The Asian markets made mostly a positive close on Thursday with the Shanghai Composite Index closing at the highest level since 2008 after volatile trading, despite the preliminary Purchasing Managers’ Index from HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics showing that Chinese manufacturing gauge fell to a 12-month low in April to 49.2. Investors shrugged off weak manufacturing data amid bets policymakers will act to shore up growth in the world's second-largest economy. Japanese shares too hit a fresh 15-year high in early trade before ending with modest gains on optimism over corporate earnings. However, the manufacturing sector in Japan swung to contraction in April as new orders continued to fall and manufacturing production fell for the first time since July 2014. In other markets in the region, while the Hang Seng and KLSE Composite ended in red, Taiwan and Seoul Composite posted gains of over a percent each.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 4,414.51 | 16.01 | 0.36 |
Hang Seng | 27,827.70 | -106.15 | -0.38 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,436.21 | -0.91 | -0.02 |
KLSE Composite | 1,846.08 | -8.69 | -0.47 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,187.65 | 53.75 | 0.27 |
Straits Times | 3,502.75 | 6.51 | 0.19 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,173.41 | 29.52 | 1.38 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,797.49 | 184.49 | 1.92 |