BENGALURU: Emerging Asian equities ticked higher on Thursday as investors assessed trade negotiations between the US and Japan although concerns over the economic impact of US trade policies kept sentiment in check.
The MSCI index of emerging Asian equities climbed as much as 0.8% following an over 1% drop on Wednesday, while a gauge of ASEAN stocks advanced for a seventh straight session to a two-week high.
South Korea’s KOSPI index rose as much as 1% as the central bank held its interest rate steady, as widely expected, and signalled a rate cut in May.
Taiwan stocks shed 0.7%, dragged by top contract chipmaker TSMC, which fell 1% despite forecasting robust growth in 2025 and reporting an estimate-beating quarterly profit.
Stocks in Asia consolidated at the start of the week but tumbled on Wednesday after the US unveiled curbs on some Nvidia chip exports to China, amplifying trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s warning on the risks of a growth downturn and a rise in inflation sent Wall Street indexes spiralling overnight.
Traders are keenly watching the outcome of US-Japan trade talks, though the direction of discussions with China remains the biggest overhang.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore stocks jumped 1.6% to a nine-session high. The city-state’s banks were the top gainers in the benchmark, alongside Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) and ST Engineering which gained around 2%.
Benchmark gauges in Indonesia and Malaysia gained 0.5%, while Thailand’s key equities gauge was slightly down.
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