Asian Bourses Lower As US Mkts See Quiet Day

Tokyo: Asian shares traded mostly lower Thursday after a quiet day on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 added to its record. Worries about US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies remain high on regional investors’ minds.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.2 per cent to finish at 38,678.04. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.2 per cent to 8,322.80, while South Korea’s Kospi lost nearly 0.7 per cent to 2,654.06. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped 1.3 per cent to 22,640.18, after China left its benchmark interest rate unchanged, in a move it said was meant to maintain financial stability. The Shanghai Composite shed less than 0.1 per cent to 3,349.60.

“The yuan has been under siege, with foreign-exchange outflows surging last month as Trump’s tariff rhetoric sent shockwaves through markets,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.2 per cent after setting an all-time high the day before.