Asian markets little changed as investors await central bank decisions

Asian markets were little changed in early trading Thursday, despite new record highs on Wall Street.

Investors were also awaiting word from central banks. The European Central Bank will meet Thursday and is expected to lay groundwork for cutting rates in the fall. The head of the Reserve Bank of Australia will also speak Thursday and may give clues about future policy direction, and the Bank of Japan will meet next week, with experts saying its direction may depend on what the ECB does. The Fed also meets next week, when it is expected to cut interest rates.

Japan’s Nikkei












NIK, +0.33%










  rose 0.3%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index












HSI, +0.31%










  edged up 0.2%. The Shanghai Composite












SHCOMP, +0.35%










  inched ahead 0.2% and the smaller-cap Shenzhen Composite












399106, +0.54%










  advanced 0.4%. South Korea’s Kospi












180721, -0.90%










 slipped 0.8%, while benchmark indexes in Taiwan












Y9999, -0.15%










 , Singapore












STI, +0.25%










 , Malaysia












FBMKLCI, +0.03%










  and Indonesia












JAKIDX, +0.20%










  were a mixed bag. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200












XJO, +0.50%










  gained 0.3%.

Among individual stocks, SoftBank












9984, +2.76%










  gained in Tokyo trading amid a report that it is poised to invest $40 billion in a new tech fund that will be backed by Apple












AAPL, -0.08%










  and Goldman Sachs












GS, +1.18%










 . Nintendo












7974, +1.41%










 also gained, while Sony












6758, -1.02%










  fell. In Hong Kong, Apple component-makers Sunny Optical












2382, +2.30%










  and AAC












2018, +1.35%










  rose, as did Tencent












700, +2.02%










 . Samsung












005930, +1.29%










  advanced in South Korea after announcing its much maligned Galaxy Fold smartphone had been improved and will launch in the fall, and chip maker SK Hynix












000660, +0.52%










 ose despite reporting that second-quarter net profit plunged nearly 90%. BHP












BHP, -2.01%










  and Rio Tinto












RIO, -4.00%










  sank in Australia, while Westpac












WBC, +1.55%










  gained.

Wednesday on Wall Street, the S&P 500












SPX, +0.47%










  and Nasdaq












COMP, +0.85%










  stock indexes closed at record on Wednesday despite mixed earnings and economic data and antitrust probes into leading U.S. technology stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average












DJIA, -0.29%










  ended lower after disappointing earnings from Boeing












BA, -3.12%










  and Caterpillar












CAT, -4.48%










 .