Asian markets settled mostly higher on Thursday tracking Wall Street gains overnight as encouraging US economic data and solid earnings reports from big American companies including Starbucks eased recession concerns for now. June data on US durable goods orders and manufacturing topped forecasts, while business activity in the services sector hit a three-month high of 56.7 percent in July. Chinese shares rose notably as investor attention has now turned to signs that infrastructure investment is picking up momentum as Beijing seeks to revive its economy. Japanese shares advanced as weaker yen lifted some exporters, but some gains were limited as the country's biggest automaker posted a large drop in quarterly earnings.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,189.04 | 25.37 | 0.80 |
Hang Seng | 20,174.04 | 406.95 | 2.06 |
Jakarta Composite | 7,057.35 | 10.71 | 0.15 |
KLSE Composite | 1,507.71 | 17.14 | 1.15 |
Nikkei 225 | 27,932.20 | 190.30 | 0.69 |
Straits Times | 3,269.86 | 17.80 | 0.55 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,473.11 | 11.66 | 0.47 |
Taiwan Weighted | 14,702.20 | -74.82 | -0.51 |
