Sunset scene of light trails traffic speeds through an intersection in Gangnam center business district of Seoul at Seoul city, South Korea
Mongkol Chuewong | Moment | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets closed mixed Thursday in the absence of any major triggers, with investors assessing the Bank of Korea’s policy decision.
South Korea’s central bank kept its policy rate unchanged at 2.5% for a second straight meeting despite an uncertain trade environment for the country. The move was in line with expectations of economists polled by Reuters.
South Korea’s Kospi added 0.29% to close at 3,196.32 and the small-cap Kosdaq lost 0.41% to end the trading day at 798.43. The South Korean won strengthened 0.36% to 1,387.58 against the greenback.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.73% to end the trading day at 42,828.79, while the Topix inched higher by 0.65% to close at 3,089.78.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.22% to close at 8,980.
Australian rare earths producer Lynas Rare Earths plans to raise about A$750 million ($488 million) through a discounted share sale to boost its processing and exploration activities. The miner will issue stock at A$13.25, about a 10% discount compared to its last close. The company also announced that its shares have been placed on a trading halt.
Shares of Australian flag carrier Qantas rose to a record high Thursday after its full-year earnings results beat estimates, buoyed by resilient demand across its domestic and international networks.
The carrier reported a 15% jump in underlying profit before tax to A$2.39 billion ($1.6 billion), beating the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$2.38 billion. Its revenue rose 8.6% to A$23.82 billion for the year ended June 30.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slid 0.79% while mainland’s CSI 300 added 1.77% to end the trading day at 4,463.78.
India’s Nifty 50 slipped 0.49% as it resumed trading following a holiday. Secondary U.S. tariffs of 25% on Indian shipments kicked in Wednesday, pushing overall duties on the country’s exports to 50%.
“The risks to growth for the Indian economy have naturally become more real,” Barclays wrote in a note. India’s top exports to the U.S., which are electrical machinery as well as gems and jewelry, face the largest tariff increases, said the bank. Its analysts, however, expect trade talks between the Indian and U.S. delegations to continue.
Overnight, the three major benchmarks closed higher stateside. The S&P 500 ticked higher and ended the day up 0.24% at 6,481.40, setting a fresh all-time closing high. The Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.21% at 21,590.14, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 147.16 points, or 0.32%, to finish at 45,565.23.
Nvidia reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue on Wednesday, and said sales growth this quarter would remain above 50%. The stock, which is up 35% this year after almost tripling in 2024, slipped in extended trading, as data center revenue fell short of estimates for the second straight period.
— CNBC’s Kif Lewsing, Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
