Investing.com - Asian stocks were mixed during Thursday’s session following some key data points from some of the region’s largest economies.
In Asian trading Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.75% after the Economic and Social Research Institute said that Japan’s core machinery orders 5.4% in September after being flat in August. Analysts expected a September increase of 2%.
In a separate report, the METI said its Japanese tertiary industry activity index rose by 0.7% last month after contracting 0.4% in August. Analysts expected the tertiary index to rise by 0.5% in September.
Koichi Hamada, an adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Janet Yellen as Federal Reserve Chair means the U.S. could keep its monetary stimulus program going longer, posing a threat to the Japanese economy in the process, according to Bloomberg.
Yellen was seen competing for the job against former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who bowed out of the race last month, and her nomination clears up policy uncertainty.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.85% while the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.88%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 0.3%. Earlier Thursday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said the country’s September unemployment rate fell to 5.6% from 5.8% in August. Analysts expected a reading of 5.8%.
In a separate report, the Statistics Bureau said Australia’s employment change increased by 9,100 after falling by 10,200 in August. Analysts expected a September change of 15,000
New Zealand’s NZSE 50 rose 0.13%. In U.S. economic news out Wednesday, the Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity rose 1.3% for the week ending October 4. The index fell 0.4% in the prior week.
South Korea’s Kospi inched down 0.09% while Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.32%. S&P 500 climbed 0.41% a day after the benchmark U.S. index nudged higher by 0.06%.
In Asian trading Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.75% after the Economic and Social Research Institute said that Japan’s core machinery orders 5.4% in September after being flat in August. Analysts expected a September increase of 2%.
In a separate report, the METI said its Japanese tertiary industry activity index rose by 0.7% last month after contracting 0.4% in August. Analysts expected the tertiary index to rise by 0.5% in September.
Koichi Hamada, an adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Janet Yellen as Federal Reserve Chair means the U.S. could keep its monetary stimulus program going longer, posing a threat to the Japanese economy in the process, according to Bloomberg.
Yellen was seen competing for the job against former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who bowed out of the race last month, and her nomination clears up policy uncertainty.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.85% while the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.88%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 0.3%. Earlier Thursday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said the country’s September unemployment rate fell to 5.6% from 5.8% in August. Analysts expected a reading of 5.8%.
In a separate report, the Statistics Bureau said Australia’s employment change increased by 9,100 after falling by 10,200 in August. Analysts expected a September change of 15,000
New Zealand’s NZSE 50 rose 0.13%. In U.S. economic news out Wednesday, the Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity rose 1.3% for the week ending October 4. The index fell 0.4% in the prior week.
South Korea’s Kospi inched down 0.09% while Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.32%. S&P 500 climbed 0.41% a day after the benchmark U.S. index nudged higher by 0.06%.