SINGAPORE – Asia Pacific stocks were mixed Thursday morning. Data shows that Japan’s exports rose sharply in April.
In morning trading, the Nikkei 225 rose slightly while the Topix index rose 0.1%.
Japan’s exports rose 38% year-over-year in April, data from the country’s Treasury Department showed on Thursday. That was more than an expected 30.9% increase that economists had forecast in a Reuters poll.
South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.44%. In Australia, the S & P / ASX 200 rose 0.5%. Australia’s April job dates are expected around 9:30 am HK / SIN.
MSCI’s broadest index for stocks in the Asia-Pacific region outside of Japan traded flat.
Looking ahead, China’s latest credit reference rate will also be released. The one-year lending rate (LPR) and five-year LPR are expected at 9:30 a.m. HK / SIN. The majority of traders in a Reuters quick poll did not expect the one-year or five-year LPR to change.
Wall Street stocks saw a wild session overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 33,896.04, 164.62 points after falling nearly 600 points from its daily low. The S&P 500 lost 0.29% to end the trading day at 4,115.68 while the Nasdaq Composite was slightly lower at 13,299.74.
Currencies
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback versus a basket of its peers, hit 90.147 after a recent rebound from below 90.
The Japanese yen was trading at 109.17 per dollar, weaker than below 108.8 against the greenback earlier in the week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $ 0.7735, weaker than it was earlier this week at over $ 0.78.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap:
- Australia: April Job Change and Unemployment Rate at 9:30 AM HK / SIN
- China: One year lending rate and five year LPR at 9:30 am HK / SIN
