Asian equity markets ended mostly in red in thin pre-Christmas trade on Thursday, following a slide in US stocks. Dow Jones Industrial Average failed yet again to reach the 20,000 mark overnight and ended in the red. While, oil prices firmed after falling overnight for the first time in a week as the EIA report showed an unexpected build in US oil inventories. Japanese shares ended down from a one-year high as caution set in ahead of a slew of US economic reports due out later in the day and a market holiday in Japan on Friday for the Emperor's birthday. However, Chinese shares bucked the trend and gained marginally as strength in shares of state-owned enterprises (SOE) was offset by persisting tight liquidity in the wake of a bond scandal.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,139.56 | 2.13 | 0.07 |
Hang Seng | 21,636.20 | -173.6 | -0.8 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,042.87 | -68.52 | -1.34 |
KLSE Composite | 1,623.20 | -6.39 | -0.39 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,427.67 | -16.82 | -0.09 |
Straits Times | 2,882.04 | -19.66 | -0.68 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,035.73 | -2.23 | -0.11 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,118.75 | -85.51 | -0.93 |