What's Affecting Markets Today
Asian Markets mostly lower
Asia-Pacific markets mostly declined on Thursday as China maintained its one- and five-year loan prime rates at 3.45% and 3.95%, respectively. The People’s Bank of China also kept the one-year medium-term lending facility rate steady at 2.5% earlier this week.
Mainland China’s CSI 300 dropped 0.49%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.48%. Hong Kong’s notable losers included Haidilao, which plunged 6.13%, Shenzhou International Group, down 4.31%, and Budweiser Brewing Company APAC, losing 3.73%.
South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.42%, while the Kosdaq slipped 0.41%, with shares of HMM, the largest container ship company, climbing over 3%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 decreased by 0.15%, and the Topix fell 0.36%.
The Taiwan Weighted Index hit new highs for the third consecutive day, rising 0.43%. In New Zealand, the economy grew 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in Q1, surpassing Reuters poll expectations of 0.1% growth, indicating an exit from a technical recession.
ASX Stocks
ASX 200 - 7,761.6 (-0.1%)
Key Highlights:
Leaders
HLI Helia Group Ltd 15.57%
DRO Droneshield Ltd 7.05%
MAF MA Financial Group Ltd 5.90%
REG Regis Healthcare Ltd 4.19%
RSG Resolute Mining Ltd 4.00%
Laggards
SNZ Summerset Group Holdings Ltd -10.68%
WA1 WA1 Resources Ltd -7.49%
RED RED 5 Ltd -6.74%
MAD Mader Group Ltd -5.38%
MEZ Meridian Energy Ltd -4.86%
