Asian markets settled mostly lower on Thursday tracking weakness in Wall Street overnight amid prospects of tighter policy measures by the US Federal Reserve. Moreover, worries over stagflation added pressure on market sentiments. Meanwhile, investors were cautiously awaiting cues from the European Central Bank meeting later in the day and Friday's US consumer inflation report. Chinese shares declined on profit booking as parts of Shanghai began imposing new Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. However, Japanese shares ended almost flat with positive momentum as a weakening yen buoyed shares of exporters.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,238.95 | -24.84 | -0.76 |
Hang Seng | 21,869.05 | -145.54 | -0.66 |
Jakarta Composite | 7,182.83 | -10.48 | -0.15 |
KLSE Composite | 1,509.71 | -14.15 | -0.93 |
Nikkei 225 | 28,246.53 | 12.24 | 0.04 |
Straits Times | 3,209.62 | -16.18 | -0.50 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,625.44 | -0.71 | -0.03 |
Taiwan Weighted | 16,621.34 | -49.17 | -0.29 |
