Asian equity markets ended mostly lower on Thursday as investors awaited the announcement of next Fed chief as well as Friday's US jobs report for direction. The dollar pulled back in Asian trading as lingering uncertainty about the US tax bill overshadowed a mildly hawkish FOMC statement. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday left interest rates unchanged as widely expected and offered support for the December rate hike that most economists were predicting. Chinese shares ended lower, as worries resurfaced over a possible economic slowdown and tighter liquidity before year-end. Meanwhile, Japanese shares extended its strong rally to top a new 21-year peak, ahead of a long weekend, with investors piling into miners and companies such as Honda Motor and Sony on robust earnings prospects.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,383.31 | -12.60 | -0.37 |
Hang Seng | 28,518.64 | -75.42 | -0.26 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,031.11 | -7.04 | -0.12 |
KLSE Composite | 1,741.05 | -2.88 | -0.17 |
Nikkei 225 | 22,539.12 | 119.04 | 0.53 |
Straits Times | 3,380.50 | -11.11 | -0.33 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,546.36 | -10.11 | -0.40 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,788.51 | -17.85 | -0.17 |