Asian equity markets ended mostly higher on Monday after G20 finance chiefs and central bankers pledged to use all policy tools to boost global economic growth, although lower commodity prices on a firmer dollar and caution ahead of two key central bank meetings this week served to limit the upside across the region. The Federal Reserve meets Tuesday and Wednesday, with no change expected to its benchmark interest rate, and market participants will scrutinize the accompanying policy statement for fresh guidance on the pace of interest rate hikes over the next few months. Chinese shares eked out modest gains in range-bound trade as investors awaited consumer inflation data on Wednesday for clues on interest rate policy from the People's Bank of China. Japanese shares closed marginally lower as investors turned risk averse ahead of the Bank of Japan's two-day monetary policy meeting due to start on July 28.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,015.83 | 3.01 | 0.10 |
Hang Seng | 21,993.44 | 29.17 | 0.13 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,220.80 | 23.55 | 0.45 |
KLSE Composite | 1,668.26 | 10.84 | 0.65 |
Nikkei 225 | 16,620.29 | -6.96 | -0.04 |
Straits Times | 2,929.85 | -15.50 | -0.53 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,012.32 | 1.98 | 0.10 |
Taiwan Weighted | 8,991.67 | -21.47 | -0.24 |