Economic Indicators Influence Asian Markets

On Thursday, the Asia-Pacific stock markets presented a mixed picture as investors analyzed the latest economic data from South Korea and Japan. The Bank of Korea reported a 1.2% year-on-year growth in South Korea's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the fourth quarter, while Japan's Ministry of Finance announced a trade surplus increase to ¥130 billion in December.

Market Movements Across the Region

Japan's Nikkei 225 saw an increase of 0.48%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose by 0.55%. Conversely, South Korea's Kospi experienced a slight decline of 0.89%. In China, the Shanghai Composite surged by 1.41%, and the Shenzhen Composite gained 0.66%. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped by 0.62%.

Currency Exchange Rates

The dollar remained stable against the yen, trading at 156.49350 at 3:26 am CET.