Most of the Asian markets finished in green on Thursday, corroborated by the risk appetite in the market on optimism that Federal Reserve focuses to terminate its pandemic-era bond purchases by March, implicating three quarter-percentage-point interest rate hikes by the end of 2022, and for tackling inflationary pressure in the economy. Japan’s Nikkei led gain in the session followed by upbeat production index reading for the month of December. The country saw its consecutive eleventh monthly gain boosting the investors’ sentiments. Shanghai stocks advanced moderately in the session, with the major gains from financial, industrial, and energy sector shares. Industrial stocks marked a gain of 1.23% and financial stocks posted 0.78% rise. However, property sector retreated in the session with the ongoing debt laden woes. MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.17%.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,675.02 | 27.39 | 0.75 |
Hang Seng | 23,475.50 | 54.74 | 0,23 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,594.80 | -31.46 | -0.47 |
KLSE Composite | 1,487.77 | 4.96 | 0.33 |
Nikkei 225 | 29,066.32 | 606.60 | 2.13 |
Straits Times | 3,128.80 | 13.92 | 0.45 |
KOSPI Composite | 3,006.41 | 17.02 | 0.57 |
Taiwan Weighted | 17,785.74 | 125.64 | 0.71 |
