Asian markets ended mixed on Thursday as a strong start to the US earnings season and hopes for progress on the Brexit front helped investors shrug off worries about US-China trade relations. The pound held steady after British Prime Minister Theresa May's government survived a vote of no confidence in parliament. Safe-haven assets such as gold and the yen rose after media reported that US federal prosecutors are investigating Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies for allegedly stealing trade secrets from US companies. Chinese stocks ended lower as investors braced for GDP data release on January 21. Growth worries resurfaced after Premier Li Keqaing said the country is facing a challenging environment. Further, Japanese shares finished lower as automakers sagged on worries about US tariff hikes on imports.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,559.64 | -10.78 | -0.42 |
Hang Seng | 26,755.63 | -146.47 | -0.54 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,423.78 | 10.42 | 0.16 |
KLSE Composite | 1,682.97 | 9.89 | 0.59 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,402.27 | -40.48 | -0.20 |
Straits Times | 3,214.44 | -14.67 | -0.45 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,107.06 | 0.96 | 0.05 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,789.15 | 25.34 | 0.26 |
