Investing.com - Asian stocks traded mixed during Thursday’s Asian session ahead of what could be significant headline risk as traders await the conclusion of the two-day Bank of Japan meeting and data out of China.
In Asian trading Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.66% after the Ministry of Finance said that Japan’s current account balance rose to JPY650 billion in July from JPY620 billion in June. Analysts expected a July reading of JPY730 billion.
In a separate report, the Bank of Japan said that bank lending in the world’s third-largest economy rose 2% in the second-quarter after a first-quarter increase of 1.9%. Analysts expected a second-quarter increase of 1.9%.
Not much is expected in the way of surprises from BoJ later Thursday because the central bank is already engaged in a massive monetary stimulus. One possible avenue BoJ has for depressing the yen is to quicken the pace of its asset-buying.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.37%, but the Shanghai Composite lost 0.18% after the National Bureau of Statistics of China said the country’s trade balance fell in July after analysts expected a reading that was on par with June’s. Additional trade data from the world’s second-largest economy is due out later in the session.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 0.5% after the Australian Bureau of Statistics said that Australian employment change fell to a seasonally adjusted -10,200 in July from 9,300 in June. The June number was revised down from10,300. Analysts expected a July reading of 5,000.
The unemployment rate in the world’s 12th-largest economy remained at 5.7% last month, better than the reading of 5.8% analysts expected.
New Zealand’s NZSE fell 0.24% while South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.53%. Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.16%. S&P 500 futures rose 0.22%. The benchmark U.S. index is in the midst of a three-day losing streak.
In Asian trading Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.66% after the Ministry of Finance said that Japan’s current account balance rose to JPY650 billion in July from JPY620 billion in June. Analysts expected a July reading of JPY730 billion.
In a separate report, the Bank of Japan said that bank lending in the world’s third-largest economy rose 2% in the second-quarter after a first-quarter increase of 1.9%. Analysts expected a second-quarter increase of 1.9%.
Not much is expected in the way of surprises from BoJ later Thursday because the central bank is already engaged in a massive monetary stimulus. One possible avenue BoJ has for depressing the yen is to quicken the pace of its asset-buying.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.37%, but the Shanghai Composite lost 0.18% after the National Bureau of Statistics of China said the country’s trade balance fell in July after analysts expected a reading that was on par with June’s. Additional trade data from the world’s second-largest economy is due out later in the session.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 0.5% after the Australian Bureau of Statistics said that Australian employment change fell to a seasonally adjusted -10,200 in July from 9,300 in June. The June number was revised down from10,300. Analysts expected a July reading of 5,000.
The unemployment rate in the world’s 12th-largest economy remained at 5.7% last month, better than the reading of 5.8% analysts expected.
New Zealand’s NZSE fell 0.24% while South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.53%. Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.16%. S&P 500 futures rose 0.22%. The benchmark U.S. index is in the midst of a three-day losing streak.