Asian markets ended higher on Wednesday after Russia announced some units participating in military exercises around Ukraine were returning to their bases, which eased fears of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, investors are awaiting minutes of the Federal Reserve's January meeting due later in the day, with bets that the US Fed will raise interest rates by 50 basis points in March. Chinese shares gained after data showed the country's factory-gate inflation eased to its slowest pace in six months in January, which raised hopes that policymakers could ease policy further to support growth in the world's second-largest economy. Meanwhile, data from South Korea showed the country’s unemployment rate edged down in January, with the number of people employed rising at the sharpest pace in nearly 22 years.
Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,465.83 | 19.74 | 0.57 |
Hang Seng | 24,718.90 | 363.19 | 1.49 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,850.20 | 42.70 | 0.63 |
KLSE Composite | 1,603.20 | 3.59 | 0.22 |
Nikkei 225 | 27,460.40 | 595.21 | 2.22 |
Straits Times | 3,439.30 | 17.92 | 0.52 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,729.68 | 53.14 | 1.99 |
Taiwan Weighted | 18,231.47 | 279.66 | 1.56 |
