Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Thursday as investors weighed a range of economic data in the region, with Chinese shares leading the gains.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.24%, while the CSI 300 rose 1.01%. China’s financial regulators urged big mutual funds and state-owned insurers to buy more shares on Thursday as Beijing seeks to shore up its faltering stock market.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.72% lower.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.84%, while the Topix added 0.6%.
South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.78%, and Kosdaq traded 0.76% lower, SEEbiz reports. South Korea’s economy grew 1.2% year-on-year in the fourth quarter, the slowest expansion since the second quarter of 2023.
Singapore is expected to release inflation data for December. The Bank of Japan also holds its next policy meeting today and tomorrow, where BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has signaled intentions to raise rates.
Overnight in the US, the three major averages advanced, with the S&P 500 hitting a fresh all-time high while tech stocks like Oracle and Nvidia rallied on optimism about artificial intelligence and President Donald Trump’s new term.
