Asian markets ended mostly lower on Thursday, tracking overnight weakness at Wall Street after US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned of a prolonged recession due to the corona virus outbreak. Further, growing concerns over renewed trade tensions between the United States and China too keeping investors nervous. Japanese stocks ended lower as the safe-haven yen strengthened with investors cautiously looking ahead to the Japanese government's expected decision later today to lift the state of emergency following the outbreak of the novel corona virus in 39 of Japan's 47 prefectures. Chinese shares closed down as investors worried about a prolonged recovery in the economy, while the main US federal government retirement fund said it halted plans to invest in Chinese stocks this year amid growing criticism that the move would have hurt national security.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,870.34 | -27.71 | -0.96 |
Hang Seng | 23,829.74 | -350.56 | -1.45 |
Jakarta Composite | 4,513.83 | -40.53 | -0.89 |
KLSE Composite | 1,397.25 | 0.12 | 0.01 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,914.78 | -352.27 | -1.74 |
Straits Times | 2,522.31 | -49.70 | -1.93 |
KOSPI Composite | 1,924.96 | -15.46 | -0.80 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,780.88 | -157.39 | -1.44 |
