Asian markets settled mostly higher on Monday after the Chinese central bank PBoC maintained its medium-term lending rate facility at 2.75%, keeping monetary policy steady ahead of the release of key readings including GDP, industrial production, retail sales, unemployment rate etc. The Chinese economy is expected to grow 4% in the first quarter against 2.9% earlier. Meanwhile, positive earnings updates from the United States also supported sentiment. Hong Kong shares gained despite losses on Wall Street last Friday followed by disappointing US retail sales data and fresh worries about further US Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,385.61 | 47.46 | 1.40 |
Hang Seng | 20,782.45 | 343.64 | 1.65 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,787.58 | -30.99 | -0.46 |
KLSE Composite | 1,434.90 | -0.23 | -0.02 |
Nikkei 225 | 28,514.78 | 21.31 | 0.07 |
Straits Times | 3,319.26 | 16.60 | 0.50 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,575.91 | 4.42 | 0.17 |
Taiwan Weighted | 15,963.55 | 34.12 | 0.21 |