Most of the Asian equity indices ended the session in the green on Wednesday with Chinese benchmarks surging over half a percent, as sentiments remained up-beat on hopes that Beijing may ease policy to boost growth after feeble trade data earlier in the day. China’s exports fell 3.1 per cent in June from a year earlier, while imports dropped 0.7 percent, severely missing market expectations and reinforcing signs of a second-quarter economic slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy. Meanwhile, Hong Kong shares hit a three-week closing high on Wednesday. However, Japanese Nikkei ended the session in the negative terrain, reversing earlier gains ahead of a speech by US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke, with investors waiting for clues to the future of the bank's stimulus programme.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2088.13 | 42.67 | 2.17 |
Hang Seng | 20904.56 | 221.55 | 1.07 |
Jakarta Composite | 4478.64 | 74.84 | 1.70 |
KLSE Composite | 1768.71 | 2.22 | 0.13 |
Nikkei 225 | 14416.60 | -56.30 | -0.39 |
Straits Times | 3188.04 | 9.41 | 0.30 |
KOSPI Composite | 1824.61 | -6.19 | -0.34 |
Taiwan Weighted | 8011.69 | 40.51 | 0.51 |
