HONG KONG: Asian markets were up Friday as investors broadly welcomed the European Central Bank’s announcement that it would maintain the size and scope of its bond-buying programme.
Players were closely watching to see if ECB chief Mario Draghi would hint at an extension — or a winding down — of the drip feed stimulus, with growth and inflation still lacklustre.
But Draghi said Thursday the ECB probably won’t stop its asset buying in the near term, at least not, abruptly.
European markets took some heart from the lack of an immediate policy change, with Frankfurt and Paris closing up 0.52 percent and 0.44 percent respectively.
London meanwhile finished the day little different, up a mere 0.07 percent.
Tokyo rose Friday morning, building on the six-month high it reached the day before.
The Nikkei was up 0.29 percent at the break, lifted by a weakening yen, a plus for shares of Japan’s exporters as it boosts their profitability.
Shanghai was up 0.35 percent but Sydney was down 0.09 percent.
Asia’s positive start to the day stood in contrast to the US, where retreating oil prices and some disappointing company earnings hit sentiment.
Investors are still focused on what the US central bank will do with its interest rate later this year.
“There’s no shortage of things that will generate volatility,” Mark Lister, head of private wealth research at Craigs Investment Partners in Wellington, told Bloomberg.
“But unless something comes out of left field, the Fed will hike in December and that means the economy is on a solid footing and that’s positive.”
Topix-listed Nintendo plunged Friday as investors gave the thumbs down to its long-awaited new console.
The game maker’s shares dived 5.3 percent to 25,520 yen as markets reacted to a preview trailer for a console seen as key to its business, as it competes with Sony’s hugely popular PlayStation 4.
Markets in Hong Kong were closed for the morning session as Typhoon Haima bore down on the city.
– Key figures at 0230 GMT –
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Tokyo – Nikkei 225: 0.29 percent at 17,285.53
Hong Kong – Hang Seng: UP 0.3 percent at 23,374.40 (Thursday close)
Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.45 percent at 3,098.71
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0903 from $1.0929
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 104.10 yen from 104 yen
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2237 from $1.2287
Oil – West Texas Intermediate: DOWN $1.05 at $50.55 per barrel UPDATE
Oil – Brent North Sea: DOWN $1.07 at $50.43
New York – Dow: DOWN 0.22 percent at 18,162.35 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP 0.07 percent at 7,026 points (close)
