Asian markets ended higher on Thursday, tracking gains on Wall Street after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell suggested the US central bank is ready to cut interest rates for the first time in a decade. Chinese shares inched up marginally on rising hopes for global central banks to step up support for economic growth, after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell set the scene for a July interest rate cut. Further, Japanese shares ended higher even as the yen strengthened on lower yields in reaction to Powell's downbeat tone on the economy.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,917.76 | 2.46 | 0.08 |
Hang Seng | 28,431.80 | 227.11 | 0.81 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,417.07 | 6.39 | 0.10 |
KLSE Composite | 1,679.26 | 0.29 | 0.02 |
Nikkei 225 | 21,643.53 | 110.05 | 0.51 |
Straits Times | 3,350.45 | 10.03 | 0.30 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,080.58 | 21.80 | 1.06 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,843.42 | 44.94 | 0.42 |