Asian markets settled mostly higher on Thursday, tracking Wall Street’s gains overnight after the US Federal Reserve kept the benchmark lending rate unchanged in the range of 5.25% to 5.50%, as widely expected, and hinted rate cuts next year. However, the Nikkei average declined ahead of the Bank of Japan's two-day policy meeting beginning Monday for cues on the timing of its expected exit from the world’s last negative interest rates. Chinese shares fell on persistent concerns over an economic slowdown in China. Meanwhile, data showed new bank lending in China jumped less than expected in November.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 2,958.99 | -9.77 | -0.33 |
| Hang Seng | 16,402.19 | 173.44 | 1.06 |
| Jakarta Composite | 7,176.02 | 100.68 | 1.40 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,456.26 | 8.22 | 0.57 |
| Nikkei 225 | 32,686.25 | -240.10 | -0.73 |
| Straits Times | 3,122.95 | 18.69 | 0.60 |
| KOSPI Composite | 2,544.18 | 33.52 | 1.32 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 17,653.11 | 184.18 | 1.04 |
