Asia-Pacific markets were subdued on Thursday amid public holidays as investors monitored economic data releases across the region.
By 11 am AEST (1 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 had slipped 0.1%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged 0.2% higher, as investors digested the Bank of Japan’s decision to keep interest rates steady at 0.5%.
Meanwhile, markets in South Korea, Hong Kong, mainland China, and India will remain closed on public holidays.
In the United States, major benchmarks closed mixed overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4%, the S&P 500 added 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.1%.
Commodities saw notable weakness. Brent crude prices fell 3.5% to multi-week lows of US$61.06 per barrel amid concerns about global demand. Spot gold also retreated, falling 0.9% to US$3,288.16 per ounce.
Among Chinese markets, the Shanghai Composite eased 0.2% to 3,279.0, while the CSI 300 dipped 0.1% to 3,770.6.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.5% to 22,119.4, and India’s BSE Sensex edged down 0.1% to 80,242.2.
In Europe, markets also traded mixed. The UK’s FTSE 100 advanced 0.4% to 8,494.9, Germany’s DAX gained 0.3% to 22,497.0, and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.5% to 7,593.9.
