Asia-Pacific markets mostly rise as investors assess Japan's trade data and Trump's plans for Powell

Asia-Pacific markets mostly ended the time higher Thursday.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed level astatine 24,498.95, portion mainland China's CSI 300 index accrued by 0.68% to 4,034.49.

Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark added 0.6% to adjacent astatine 39,901.19, portion the broader Topix scale roseate 0.72% to 2,839.81.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Kospi index moved up 0.19% to adjacent astatine 3,192.29, portion the small-cap Kosdaq precocious 0.74% to 818.27.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 benchmark ended the time 0.9% higher astatine 8,639.

Over successful India, the 50-stock benchmark Nifty 50 was down 0.12%, portion the Sensex scale mislaid 0.25% arsenic of 1.55 p.m. Indian Standard Time (4.25 a.m. ET).

— Amala Balakrishner

Nifty 50 Index

Shares of SK Hynix plunged arsenic overmuch arsenic 8.78% Thursday connected concerns of its profit-taking against the backdrop of a weakening outlook for representation semiconductor prices.

Goldman Sachs reportedly downgraded the banal to a neutral rating, noting that SK Hynix's "operating nett for 2026 is expected to alteration compared to this year."

"Considering the show risks, it is shifting to a blimpish stance arsenic the banal terms has already risen significantly," the bank's analysts added successful a Thursday note.

— Amala Balakrishner

Australia's unemployment complaint roseate to 4.3% connected a seasonally adjusted ground successful June, surpassing the 4.1% summation anticipated by economists polled by Reuters.

The speechmaking was besides the highest since November 2021, according to LSEG data.

Meanwhile, nett employment roseate by 2,000 successful June, from a revised diminution of 1,100 the period before, information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics connected Thursday showed.

That latest speechmaking inactive missed marketplace forecasts of a 20,000 increase, according to Reuters canvass data.

— Amala Balakrishner

Straits Times Index

Chinese and Hong Kong-listed stocks started the time higher Thursday amid choppy trading successful different cardinal Asia-Pacific markets.

As of 9.40 a.m. section clip (9.40 p.m. ET Wednesday), the Hang Seng Index added 0.26%, portion mainland's CSI 300 moved up 0.16%.

— Amala Balakrishner

Singapore's non-oil home exports surged 13% successful June compared to the aforesaid play past year, surpassing the 5% maturation forecast by economists polled by Reuters.

The latest speechmaking besides surpassed the revised 3.9% diminution successful the erstwhile month, government data showed Thursday.

This is the sharpest summation since July 2024, according to LSEG data. It comes connected the backmost of higher shipments of physics products, non-monetary golden and specialized machinery.

On a month-on-month basis, Singapore's NODX surged 14.3% successful June, compared to a 12% diminution seen successful May.

– Amala Balakrishner

Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed Wednesday.

As of 8.11 a.m. Singapore clip (8.11 p.m. ET), Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark fell 0.6% portion the broader Topix scale ticked down 0.11%.

In South Korea, the Kospi index dropped 0.26% portion the small-cap Kosdaq was flat.

Over successful Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark added 0.35%.

— Amala Balakrishner

Japan's exports successful June contracted 0.5% twelvemonth implicit year, extending the 1.7% driblet seen successful May arsenic deliveries continued to diminution for the 2nd consecutive month.

The alteration successful exports was a reversal of the 0.5% emergence expected by economists polled by Reuters, and comes amid a deficiency of a breakthrough successful commercialized talks with the U.S.

Exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, were down 4.7%, portion exports to the U.S. declined by 11.4% twelvemonth implicit year, deepening from the 11% autumn successful May.

Read the afloat story, here.

—Lim Hui Jie

Good greeting from Singapore.

Investors volition beryllium keeping a adjacent ticker connected a slew of information points from the Asia-Pacific portion today, including Japan's commercialized figures, Singapore's non-oil home exports numbers arsenic good arsenic Australia's employment people for the period of June.

Economists polled by Reuters expect Japan's commercialized equilibrium to travel successful astatine 353.9 cardinal yen ($2.39 billion) surplus, amended than the revised 638.6 cardinal yen shortage it recorded successful May.

Meanwhile, abstracted polls by Reuters showed that Singapore's non-oil home exports were forecast to turn 5% twelvemonth connected twelvemonth successful June, from a contraction of 3.5% successful May.

Australia's unemployment complaint was expected to clasp dependable astatine 4.1% successful June.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was acceptable to unfastened lower, with the futures declaration successful Chicago astatine 39,545 portion its counterpart successful Osaka past traded astatine 39,540, against the index's Wednesday adjacent of 39,663.40.

Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood astatine 24,576, pointing to a stronger unfastened compared to the HSI's past adjacent of 24,517.76.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was besides acceptable to commencement the time higher with futures tied to the benchmark astatine 8,588, compared with its past adjacent of 8,561.80.

— Amala Balakrishner

Wednesday saw a volatile trading league that ended with a large rebound successful U.S. equities.

The S&P 500 added 0.32% to adjacent astatine 6,263.70. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 231.49 points, oregon 0.53%, ending astatine 44,254.78. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.26% to settee the league astatine 20,730.49, notching its ninth grounds close.

— Pia Singh