Asia-Pacific equities traded slightly higher on Thursday, with modest gains across key regional benchmarks as investors digested the Bank of Korea’s latest policy decision.
By 11:10 am AEST (1:10 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.1%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 gained 0.3%.
The Bank of Korea held interest rates steady, in line with market expectations.
Attention also remains on India’s markets after Wednesday's holiday closure, with investors watching closely as new United States tariffs take effect.
Secondary duties of 25% on Indian shipments came into force on Wednesday, doubling overall tariffs on the country’s exports to 50%.
Overnight in the U.S., stocks ended higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite each advanced 0.2%, with the S&P 500 setting a fresh record close.
In commodities, Brent crude gained 1.1% to US$67.44 a barrel, while spot gold rose 0.1% to US$3,397.72 an ounce, marking multi-week highs.
Chinese equities slipped as momentum from their recent rally continued to ease. The Shanghai Composite fell 1.8% to 3,800.4, while the CSI 300 dropped 1.5% to 4,386.1.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 1.3% to 25,201.8. India’s BSE Sensex remained closed for a public holiday.
In Europe, markets finished mixed. London’s FTSE 100 dipped 0.1% to 9,255.5, Frankfurt’s DAX slipped 0.4% to 24,046.2, while Paris’ CAC 40 added 0.4% to 7,743.9.
