Asian markets ended mostly lower on Thursday as surprise deterioration in German business morale rekindled global slowdown fears. A mixed batch of US earnings, worries over China putting policy-easing measures on hold and caution ahead of US first-quarter gross domestic product data due on Friday also kept investors on the sidelines. Chinese shares ended lower on fears of easing stimulus. Further, South Korean shares ended lower on growth worries after data showed the country's economy unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter in the biggest fall since the financial crisis. South Reports showing South Korea's gross domestic product was down a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent sequentially in the first quarter of 2019. That follows the 1.0 percent increase in the three months prior. However, Japanese shares ended higher after the Bank of Japan revised its forward guidance and said it would keep extremely low interest rates until spring 2020.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,123.83 | -77.78 | -2.43 |
Hang Seng | 29,549.80 | -256.03 | -0.86 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,372.79 | -75.10 | -1.16 |
KLSE Composite | 1,635.68 | -2.33 | -0.14 |
Nikkei 225 | 22,307.58 | 107.58 | 0.48 |
Straits Times | 3,350.28 | -12.15 | -0.36 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,190.50 | -10.53 | -0.48 |
Taiwan Weighted | 11,039.86 | 12.22 | 0.11 |
