Asian markets settled mostly higher on Thursday tracking Wall Street gains overnight as soft US inflation print spurred expectations for more Fed rate cuts this year. Japanese shares gained, while the Japanese yen surged to hit a one-month high on potential Japanese interest rate hikes next week. Chinese shares rose ahead of GDP data for the final quarter and other key economic indicators due on Friday. Seoul shares ended up as the Bank of Korea surprised markets by keeping its benchmark policy rate at 3% after two consecutive rate cuts in the fourth quarter of last year.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 3,236.03 | 8.91 | 0.28 |
| Hang Seng | 19,522.89 | 236.82 | 1.21 |
| Jakarta Composite | 7,107.52 | 27.96 | 0.39 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,555.54 | -6.58 | -0.42 |
| Nikkei 225 | 38,572.60 | 128.02 | 0.33 |
| Straits Times | 3,801.13 | 28.55 | 0.75 |
| KOSPI Composite | 2,527.49 | 30.68 | 1.21 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 23,025.10 | 510.53 | 2.22 |
