Asian equity markets closed mostly higher on Tuesday, although gains remained modest ahead of the upcoming Jackson Hole central banking conference beginning on Thursday, with markets awaiting speeches by Fed chair Janet Yellen and Mario Draghi. Chinese shares ended higher as a unit of China Unicom surged by the daily limit for a second day and as financial and materials firms also experienced strong gains. Shares in the China Unicom unit have risen following a statement from the China Securities Regulatory Commission on Sunday that it would treat China Unicom's $11.7 billion ownership reform plan ‘as an exceptional case’, granting it approval. Meanwhile, Japanese shares ended lower even as the yen weakened to snap four days of gains.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,290.23 | 3.32 | 0.10 |
Hang Seng | 27,401.67 | 246.99 | 0.91 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,880.30 | 19.29 | 0.33 |
KLSE Composite | 1,774.22 | 2.60 | 0.15 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,383.84 | -9.29 | -0.05 |
Straits Times | 3,263.79 | 16.80 | 0.52 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,365.33 | 10.33 | 0.44 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,392.07 | 65.68 | 0.64 |