Asian equity markets delivered a mixed picture on Thursday as gains in Japan and mainland China were offset by losses in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched higher, adding 0.30% to close at 61,432.21, holding near elevated levels as investors maintained a cautious but constructive stance on Tokyo’s blue-chip stocks.
In South Korea, the KOSPI Composite Index fell 0.57% to finish at 5,344.95, weighed by selling pressure across a broad range of sectors as sentiment turned cautious.
Taiwan’s TSEC Capitalisation Weighted Index edged down 0.11%, settling at 44,210.46 in a relatively subdued session that suggested investors were largely content to hold positions rather than make decisive moves.
Hong Kong saw more pronounced weakness, with the Hang Seng Index falling 0.80% to close at 24,121.40, as concerns over the near-term outlook prompted investors to trim risk exposure in the city’s equity market.
Mainland Chinese equities bucked the regional trend. The SSE Composite Index rose 0.54% to 3,680.64 in Shanghai, while Shenzhen’s index climbed a robust 2.19% to reach 11,389.74 — the standout performer of the day across the region, suggesting renewed appetite for growth-oriented stocks listed on the technology-heavy bourse.
Overall, Thursday’s session highlighted a divergence between mainland Chinese markets, which attracted buyers, and several neighbouring bourses where profit-taking or risk aversion held sway.