Asia-Pacific equities were mixed on Thursday, with Japan and South Korea notching fresh record highs as softer United States inflation data lifted risk sentiment.
By 11:40 am AEST (1:40 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.7% to new record territory, while South Korea’s Kospi 200 climbed 0.3%, also at record valuations.
In economic data, Japan’s producer price index rose 2.7% in August from a year earlier, according to a Bank of Japan report released Thursday.
The result was in line with market expectations and slightly above July’s 2.6% gain. On a monthly basis, PPI edged down 0.2%, reversing a 0.3% rise in July.
On Wall Street overnight, major benchmarks closed mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.5%, while the S&P 500 added 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite edged 0.03% higher, both reaching fresh record highs.
In commodities, Brent crude rose 1.7% to settle at US$67.49 per barrel. Spot gold gained 0.4% to a record $3,640.14 per ounce.
In China, the Shanghai Composite inched up 0.1% to 3,806.1, while the CSI 300 slipped 0.2% to 4,438.8.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index extended its rally, rising 1% to 26,200.3, a four-year high. India’s BSE Sensex also firmed 0.4% to 81,425.2.
European markets ended Wednesday mixed. London’s FTSE 100 shed 0.2% to 9,225.4, Frankfurt’s DAX dropped 0.4% to 23,633.0, while Paris’s CAC 40 rose 0.2% to 7,761.3.
