Asian equity markets ended mostly higher on Thursday as fears over trade disputes abated and remarks by a European Central Bank board member eased worries about the new Italian government's spending plans. China’s Commerce Ministry said that the country does not want an escalation of trade frictions with the United States, and that some specific progress was made in the latest round of talks that concluded over the weekend. The euro rose against the dollar after the European Central Bank indicated it will discuss ending its bond purchasing program at a meeting next week. However, Chinese stocks ended lower as consumer and healthcare firms took a breather after recent gains.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,109.50 | -5.68 | -0.18 |
Hang Seng | 31,512.63 | 253.53 | 0.81 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,106.70 | 36.99 | 0.61 |
KLSE Composite | 1,785.81 | 8.68 | 0.49 |
Nikkei 225 | 22,823.26 | 197.53 | 0.87 |
Straits Times | 3,473.08 | 5.27 | 0.15 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,470.58 | 16.82 | 0.69 |
Taiwan Weighted | 11,251.75 | 49.92 | 0.45 |
