Asian equity markets ended in green on Thursday, reflecting investors’ confidence in the global economic outlook after central bankers around the world signaled that interest rates may need to rise. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney indicated on Wednesday that monetary stimulus may need to be withdrawn to some extent in future, if UK wages pick up and business investment strengthens. Meanwhile, the dollar wallowed at one-year lows against the euro despite media reports suggesting that markets misinterpreted comments made a day earlier by ECB President Mario Draghi about adjustment in the central bank's monetary stimulus. Chinese shares ended higher as investors awaited monthly indexes on factory and service sector activity on Friday for further clues on the world's second-largest economy. Further, Japanese shares closed near their highest level in nearly two years as the yen held steady despite North Korea's warning that the country would keep building up its nuclear arsenal regardless of sanctions, pressure or military attack. Investors also shrugged off weak retail sales figures, which showed that Japanese retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 1.6 percent sequentially in May. The Indonesian markets remains closed today.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,188.06 | 14.86 | 0.47 |
Hang Seng | 25,965.42 | 281.92 | 1.10 |
Jakarta Composite | - | - | - |
KLSE Composite | 1,771.36 | 0.13 | 0.01 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,220.30 | 89.89 | 0.45 |
Straits Times | 3,258.65 | 42.95 | 1.34 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,395.66 | 13.10 | 0.55 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,421.65 | 31.10 | 0.30 |