Asian markets ended mixed on Thursday as worries remained over the global economic impact from the corona virus outbreak. New cases in China slowed again with just 394 new cases from the previous day. Still, China has reported 74,576 total cases, with 2,118 deaths. Meanwhile, rise in corona virus cases in South Korea and Japan, offsetting hopes of further stimulus in China. Chinese stocks ended up after Chinese Central Bank (PBOC) cut its benchmark one-year loan prime rate by 10 basis points and the five-year loan prime rate by 5 basis points, as anticipated, adding to a slew of fiscal and monetary measures in recent weeks aimed at mitigating the economic damage. Further, Japanese stocks closed higher as a sharp sell-off in the yen helped lift exporters.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,030.15 | 54.75 | 1.84 |
Hang Seng | 27,609.16 | -46.65 | -0.17 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,942.49 | 13.70 | 0.23 |
KLSE Composite | 1,538.42 | 4.26 | 0.28 |
Nikkei 225 | 23,479.15 | 78.45 | 0.34 |
Straits Times | 3,198.68 | -15.03 | -0.47 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,195.50 | -14.84 | -0.67 |
Taiwan Weighted | 11,725.09 | -33.75 | -0.29 |
