Asian markets closed mostly lower on Thursday despite the gains on Wall Street overnight. Investors are now look ahead to the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision due later in the day, at which the Governing Council is expected to keep its 1.35 trillion euro ($1.6 trillion) emergency bond-buying program and record-low interest rates unchanged for now. Chinese shares end lower as more than 300 startups plunged earlier in the session after regulators moved to curb speculation on the tech-heavy ChiNext board. Though, Japanese shares ended up as the safe-haven yen weakened against the dollar, lifting exporters' stocks.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,234.82 | -19.81 | -0.61 |
Hang Seng | 24,313.54 | -155.39 | -0.64 |
Jakarta Composite | 4,891.46 | -257.92 | -5.01 |
KLSE Composite | 1,490.12 | -6.60 | -0.44 |
Nikkei 225 | 23,235.47 | 202.93 | 0.88 |
Straits Times | 2,492.09 | -7.24 | -0.29 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,396.48 | 20.67 | 0.87 |
Taiwan Weighted | 12,691.75 | 83.17 | 0.66 |
