Asian markets settled mostly higher on Wednesday amid expectations that US Fed would be less aggressive on its tightening plans. Meanwhile, investors are awaiting the release of minutes of the US Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting later in the day for clues on future interest-rate hikes. Japanese shares led regional gains due to weakness in Japanese yen and also tracking robust earnings from US retailers. Data showed Japan's core machinery orders rose 0.9% in June from the previous month. Chinese shares gained after policymakers announced a slew of stimulus measures to boost economic growth, including increased debt issuances and infrastructure spending.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,292.53 | 14.65 | 0.45 |
Hang Seng | 19,922.45 | 91.93 | 0.46 |
Jakarta Composite | -- | -- | -- |
KLSE Composite | 1,518.16 | -0.62 | -0.04 |
Nikkei 225 | 29,222.77 | 353.86 | 1.23 |
Straits Times | 3,262.76 | 8.97 | 0.28 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,516.47 | -17.05 | -0.67 |
Taiwan Weighted | 15,465.45 | 44.88 | 0.29 |
