Asian markets ended mostly lower on Thursday as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its global growth forecasts again and the US trade deficit surged to a 10-year high in 2018, despite more than two years of President Trump's ‘America First’ policies. US private sector job growth also moderated in February, keeping investors cautious ahead of the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting later in the day and the monthly US jobs report due on Friday. Chinese shares ended higher as Huawei Technologies filed a lawsuit against the US government for banning its equipment from certain networks in the US. Further, Japanese shares hit one-week low, dragged down by banks and chipmakers. Meanwhile, the Indonesia market is closed for a public holiday.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,106.42 | 4.32 | 0.14 |
Hang Seng | 28,779.45 | -258.15 | -0.89 |
Jakarta Composite | - | - | - |
KLSE Composite | 1,686.95 | 0.13 | 0.01 |
Nikkei 225 | 21,456.01 | -140.80 | -0.65 |
Straits Times | 3,229.48 | 6.64 | 0.21 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,165.79 | -9.81 | -0.45 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,311.68 | -45.47 | -0.44 |
