Asian markets made a mixed closing on Thursday, following their US counterparts after the Federal Open Market Committee released the minutes of its two-day meeting ended Feb. 1, where members believed it might be appropriate to lift U.S. interest-rates “fairly soon.” The Korean benchmark Kospi index ended flat as the country’s central bank kept interest rates unchanged, as expected for an eighth straight month, awaiting clarity on global policy changes. The Japanese market ended in red as the yen was higher against dollar, pressuring exporters’ bottom lines by making it more expensive for them to ship their goods around the globe. Chinese stocks too fell, with realty and construction-related stocks leading declines, after reports emerged that China's financial regulators are working on new rules to rein in asset management risks.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,251.38 | -9.84 | -0.30 |
Hang Seng | 24,114.86 | -87.10 | -0.36 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,372.75 | 14.06 | 0.26 |
KLSE Composite | 1,704.48 | -3.60 | -0.21 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,371.46 | -8.41 | -0.04 |
Straits Times | 3,137.57 | 15.37 | 0.49 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,107.63 | 1.02 | 0.05 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,769.31 | -9.47 | -0.10 |