Stock markets in the Asian region exhibited mixed trend on Tuesday as investors cautiously re-evaluated the global growth outlook following recent downbeat economic data in the US and China. In Tokyo, the Nikkei Stock Average reversed course to finish the day down 0.10 percent, as the yen appreciated after the Bank of Japan left its policy interest rate and the size of its asset purchases unchanged. The drop marked a sixth straight day of decline for Japanese shares.
Meanwhile, Chinese Shanghai Composite surged by 0.90 percent after the nation posted a trade surplus of $5.35 billion in March, reversing a $31.48 billion deficit in February due to much weaker-than-expected imports. Imports grew 5.3 percent in March from February’s 39.6 percent increase. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost about 1.2 percent as traders returning after a four-day weekend responded to a disappointing US jobs report.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,305.86 | 20.09 | 0.88 |
Hang Seng | 20,356.24 | -236.76 | -1.15 |
Jakarta Composite | 4,149.80 | -4.27 | -0.10 |
KLSE Composite | 1,597.17 | 5.89 | 0.30 |
Nikkei 225 | 9,538.02 | -8.24 | -0.09 |
Straits Times | 2,982.44 | 22.34 | 0.75 |
Seoul Composite | 1,994.41 | -2.67 | -0.13 |
Taiwan Weighted | 7,640.68 | 39.81 | 0.52 |