Investing.com - Asian shares were mixed Thursday with the Nikkei closing the morning session higher just as the Bank of Japan kept policy steady in its latest review, while China and Hong Kong fell after HSBC China flash manufacturing purchasing managers data for November came in weaker than expected.
The BoJ unanimously kept its benchmark interest rate at 0.10% as expected and said the domestic economy continues to recover moderately, though the global outlook remains uncertain, initially weakening the yen which is seen good for export-oriented companies.
BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda scheduled to hold a news conference at 1530 local time (0630 GMT) to elaborate on progress toward 2% sustained inflation in 2015 in combination with fiscal efforts.
The BoJ decision follows HSBC's closely watched November flash manufacturing purchasing managers index for China clocked in at 50.4, below a forecast of 50.8, and easing from 50.9 for the final in October, according to a release.
The Shanghai Composite index fell 1.05% in the morning session and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was down 0.66%
Key for all markets is when the Federal Reserve will start to taper a USD85 billion a month bond buying program, uncertainty over which resulted in declines in Australia's S&P/ASX 200, which fell0.1%. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.9% and Taiwan's Taiex fell 1.1%.
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.41%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.36%, while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.26% after minutes of the most recent Fed board meeting on monetary policy were released.
"During this general discussion of policy strategy and tactics, participants reviewed issues specific to the Committee's asset purchase program. They generally expected that the data would prove consistent with the Committee's outlook for ongoing improvement in labor market conditions and would thus warrant trimming the pace of purchases in coming months," the minutes read.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that retail sales expanded 0.4% in October, blowing past expectations for a 0.1% gain after coming in flat the month earlier.
Elsewhere, the Commerce Department reported that wholesale business inventories inched up by 0.6% in September compared to expectations for a 0.3% gain.
The National Association of Realtors reported earlier that existing home sales declined 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted 5.12 million units in October from 5.29 million in September.
Analysts had expected U.S. existing home sales to fall 2.6% to 5.13 million units last month, though investors shrugged off the report on sentiments October is not a strong month for housing anyway.
Consumer price inflation figures largely met expectations.
U.S. Department of Labor said the country's consumer price index fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in October, defying expectations for a 0.1% increase after rising by 0.2% in September.
Year-over-year, the U.S. consumer price index rose at an annualized rate of 1.0% last month, in line with estimates and slowing from 1.2% in September.
The core consumer price index, which is stripped of volatile food and energy costs, inched up 0.1% in October, in line with forecasts. Core consumer prices rose 0.1% in September.
The U.S. core CPI increased at annualized rate of 1.7% last month, unchanged from September and in line with expectations.
After the close of European trade overnight, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.06%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.09%, while Germany's DAX 30 rose 0.10%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished down 0.25%.
On Thursday, the U.S. is release data on producer price inflation, as well as the weekly report on initial jobless claims. The U.S. is also to release data manufacturing activity from the Philly Fed.
The BoJ unanimously kept its benchmark interest rate at 0.10% as expected and said the domestic economy continues to recover moderately, though the global outlook remains uncertain, initially weakening the yen which is seen good for export-oriented companies.
BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda scheduled to hold a news conference at 1530 local time (0630 GMT) to elaborate on progress toward 2% sustained inflation in 2015 in combination with fiscal efforts.
The BoJ decision follows HSBC's closely watched November flash manufacturing purchasing managers index for China clocked in at 50.4, below a forecast of 50.8, and easing from 50.9 for the final in October, according to a release.
The Shanghai Composite index fell 1.05% in the morning session and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was down 0.66%
Key for all markets is when the Federal Reserve will start to taper a USD85 billion a month bond buying program, uncertainty over which resulted in declines in Australia's S&P/ASX 200, which fell0.1%. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.9% and Taiwan's Taiex fell 1.1%.
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.41%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.36%, while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.26% after minutes of the most recent Fed board meeting on monetary policy were released.
"During this general discussion of policy strategy and tactics, participants reviewed issues specific to the Committee's asset purchase program. They generally expected that the data would prove consistent with the Committee's outlook for ongoing improvement in labor market conditions and would thus warrant trimming the pace of purchases in coming months," the minutes read.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that retail sales expanded 0.4% in October, blowing past expectations for a 0.1% gain after coming in flat the month earlier.
Elsewhere, the Commerce Department reported that wholesale business inventories inched up by 0.6% in September compared to expectations for a 0.3% gain.
The National Association of Realtors reported earlier that existing home sales declined 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted 5.12 million units in October from 5.29 million in September.
Analysts had expected U.S. existing home sales to fall 2.6% to 5.13 million units last month, though investors shrugged off the report on sentiments October is not a strong month for housing anyway.
Consumer price inflation figures largely met expectations.
U.S. Department of Labor said the country's consumer price index fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in October, defying expectations for a 0.1% increase after rising by 0.2% in September.
Year-over-year, the U.S. consumer price index rose at an annualized rate of 1.0% last month, in line with estimates and slowing from 1.2% in September.
The core consumer price index, which is stripped of volatile food and energy costs, inched up 0.1% in October, in line with forecasts. Core consumer prices rose 0.1% in September.
The U.S. core CPI increased at annualized rate of 1.7% last month, unchanged from September and in line with expectations.
After the close of European trade overnight, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.06%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.09%, while Germany's DAX 30 rose 0.10%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished down 0.25%.
On Thursday, the U.S. is release data on producer price inflation, as well as the weekly report on initial jobless claims. The U.S. is also to release data manufacturing activity from the Philly Fed.