Chinese reserve ratio cut, Greece hopes bolster Asian bourses

20 Feb 2012 Evaluate

Stocks markets across Asia got a short in the arm on the first trading session of a fresh week as most indices traded with notable gains after sentiments got filliped by reports that Chinese central bank slashed banks' reserve requirement ratio by 50 basis-point cut. Investors added positions with conviction on hopes that the move by People's Bank of China would boost lending and sustain growth in world’s second largest economy. Market participants also remained optimistic that 130-billion euro deal for a second massive bailout for Greece can be secured at the Euro-zone finance ministers’ meet later in the global day. A slew of encouraging US economic reports over the weekend including the weekly jobs data indicated that the situation in world’s largest economy too is improving.

Benchmarks in China and Hong Kong climbed well over half a percent as sentiments got buoyed by after China eased policy over the weekend. Japanese shares too surged around a percent as export oriented stocks along with energy shares gained traction on the back of easing yen and rising international oil prices respectively.

Shanghai Composite climbed 20.77 points or 0.88% to 2,377.96, Hang Seng advanced 146.43 points or 0.68% to 21,638.05, KLSE Composite gained 3.94 points or 0.25% to 1,561.09, Nikkei 225 surged 84.35 points or 0.90% to 9,468.52, Straits Times rose 13.03 points or 0.43% to 3,013.62, Seoul Composite added 2.73 points or 0.13% to 2,026.20 and Taiwan Weighted ascended 55.64 points or 0.70% to 7,950.00.

On the flipside only Jakarta Composite slipped 5.41 points or 0.14% to 3,971.13.

© 2025 The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. MoneyWorks4Me ® is a registered trademark of The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.

×