Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed on Thursday as investors looked for further details surrounding the newly announced trade agreement between the United States and Vietnam, which President Donald Trump unveiled on Wednesday.
As of 11:10 am AEST (1:10 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.2%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.2%. South Korea’s Kospi 200 outperformed with a 0.9% gain.
Among data releases, Australia’s trade balance data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed a sharp narrowing of the goods surplus in May. The seasonally adjusted balance declined by A$2.621 billion, driven by a 2.7% fall in exports, mainly due to a pullback in non-rural goods.
Meanwhile, imports climbed 3.8%, led by higher capital goods imports.
Overnight in the United States, Wall Street closed broadly higher. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% to another record close, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.9%, also setting a fresh high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was marginally lower, down 0.02%.
Commodities also saw strong moves. Brent crude oil surged 3% to finish at US$69.11 per barrel, while spot gold advanced 0.6% to US$3,357.09 per ounce.
Chinese markets also ended mixed. The Shanghai Composite slipped 0.1% to 3,454.8 after touching yearly highs earlier in the week, while the CSI 300 Index was virtually flat at 3,943.7.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index rose 0.6% to 24,221.4, while India’s BSE Sensex declined 0.3% to 83,409.7 amid mild profit-taking.
European markets followed a similarly mixed pattern. The UK’s FTSE 100 eased 0.1% to close at 8,774.7, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.5% to 23,790.1. France’s CAC 40 gained 1% to settle at 7,738.4.
