Asia-Pacific stocks started mixed Thursday, as a number of the region’s markets looked to extend four-day winning streaks.
So-called defensive stocks led Japan’s market higher, signaling market caution on U.S. trade, political and monetary-policy developments. The Nikkei
NIK, +0.18%
was up 0.2%, but auto stocks lagged after Wednesday’s traded-fueled jump. Suzuki
7269, -4.01%
and auto-parts maker Denso
6902, -3.07%
dropped about 3%. Among big-cap movers, furniture retailer Nitori
9843, +3.53%
was up 3.1% while ground-transportation firm Yamato
9064, +2.45%
and health care-equipment maker Sysmex
6869, +1.91%
rose some 2%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng
HSI, -0.68%
opened lower, with smartphone-component makers AAC
2018, -3.57%
and Sunny Optical
2382, -2.01%
reversing some of this week’s rebound. Tencent
0700, -0.50%
was off 1%, but smartphone maker Xiaomi
1810, +1.70%
jumped 3% after its second-quarter report and insurer Ping An
2318, +1.92%
rose 1.5% to build on post-second-quarter gains.
Chinese stocks ticked up, with the Shanghai Composite
SHCOMP, -0.09%
and Shenzhen Composite
399106, +0.19%
recovering from the previous day’s losses, led by financials and real estate while commodities names lagged.
Australia’s ASX 200
XJO, -0.19%
slipped, with Santos
STO, +9.25%
and Qantas Airways
QAN, -4.17%
among the biggest movers. New Zealand’s NZX 50
NZ50GR, -0.24%
was on track so snap a seven-session win streak, including record closing highs for the past three days. Air New Zealand
AIR, -3.08%
falling 2% following its earnings report and Wednesday’s 3% jump in oil prices. .
South Korea’s Kospi
SEU, -0.14%
was about flat, as Samsung
005930, -0.76%
retreated slightly. Taiwan’s Taiex
Y9999, +0.12%
rose, as did benchmarks in Singapore
STI, +1.37%
, Malaysia
FBMKLCI, +0.42%
and Indonesia
JAKIDX, +0.88%
, which were closed for holidays Wednesday.
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Source : MTV
