Asian equity markets ended mostly higher on Thursday after the latest FOMC minutes showed Fed officials expressing a strong degree of caution over the timing of future interest-rate increases. Many participants thought another increase in interest rates later this year is ‘likely to be warranted’ if the medium-term outlook remained broadly unchanged. However, they also expressed concern about persistently weak inflation. Japanese shares closed at a more than two-decade high as polls suggesting that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition is heading for a two-thirds majority in forthcoming election helped offset concerns over a firmer yen. Meanwhile, Chinese shares ended little changed with a negative bias ahead of the Communist Party Congress starting next week.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,386.10 | -2.18 | -0.06 |
Hang Seng | 28,459.03 | 69.46 | 0.24 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,926.20 | 43.42 | 0.74 |
KLSE Composite | 1,754.00 | -3.21 | -0.18 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,954.72 | 73.45 | 0.35 |
Straits Times | 3,303.09 | 22.81 | 0.70 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,474.76 | 16.60 | 0.68 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,711.44 | 70.25 | 0.66 |