Pessimistic sentiments prevail across Asian markets on Thursday

08 Dec 2011 Evaluate

Pessimistic sentiments prevailed across the Asian region in Thursday’s trading session as market participants chose to take profits off the table ahead of the important European Central Bank and European Union meetings scheduled later in the global day. Investors lacked conviction to open fresh positions in riskier asset classes like equities amid the heightened uncertainty over the developments in Euro-zone. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank is widely expected to cut its key interest rate back to the record low 1% for the second time in as many months later in the day. Also, the worse than expected employment data from Australia too was adversely impacting the market mood in the region to a significant extent.

The benchmark in Tokyo traded with large cuts of over a percent as investors squared off positions ahead of a futures contract settlement and as market players turned cautious ahead of key events in Europe. Shares in Seoul declined by over half a percent after Bank of Korea kept its key interest rates unchanged at 3.25% for the sixth straight month amid signs that exports in one of Asia's most trade dependent economies are slowing and as domestic demand cools.

Shanghai Composite slipped 3.69 points or 0.16% to 2,329.04, Hang Seng plunged 168.01 points or 0.87% to 19,072.57, Jakarta Composite declined 17.21 points or 0.45% to 3,776.02, KLSE Composite shed 11.10 points or 0.75% to 1,471.89, Nikkei 225 plummeted 93.02 points or 1.07% to 8,629.15, Straits Times sank 45.35 points or 1.63% to 2,737.20, Seoul Composite dropped 11.05 points or 0.58% to 1,908.37 and Taiwan Weighted shaved-off 113.42 points or 1.61% to 6,919.58.

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