On Thursday morning (15 January, 9:20 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most major indices in the Asia Pacific displayed a positive performance, with market participants closely monitoring outcomes from the Bank of Korea’s most recent policy meeting, while regional sentiment was also influenced by developments in both the United States and China.
The Bank of Korea opted to maintain its policy rate at 2.50%, a decision which matched Reuters expectations. This came as a continued weakening of the South Korean won, which limited the room available for monetary easing.
U.S. equities closed lower for a second consecutive session overnight, with investors weighing a new round of corporate earnings alongside lingering concerns over geopolitical issues.
Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the situation, that Chinese customs officials have informed their agents to restrict the entry of Nvidia’s H200 chips into China, signaling heightened scrutiny on technology imports amid enduring U.S.-China trade tensions.
South Korea’s KOSPI rose by 0.43% to 4,743.60. Australia’s ASX 200 grew by 0.32% to 8,849.00, while Japan’s NIKKEI dropped by 0.78% to 53,919.31.
As for stocks in China, Shenzhen’s SZI expanded by 0.14% to 14,268.44. Hong Kong’s HSI increased by 0.45% to 27,121.60, while Shanghai’s SSEC slid by 0.09% to 4,122.29.
The U.S. stock markets edged down on Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) shrank by 0.09% to 49,149.63. NASDAQ slumped by 1.00% to 23,471.74, and S&P 500 declined by 0.53% to 6,926.60. VIX escalated by 4.82% to 16.75.
As for commodities, oil prices initially climbed on Wednesday, but later reversed most of their gains following remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump, which reduced concerns about potential interruptions to Iran’s oil exports. Trump stated late in the day that the violence linked to Iran’s suppression of civil unrest appeared to be decreasing. By 3:18 PM ET (2018 GMT), Brent crude had declined 92 cents, or 1.41%, to settle at $64.55 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped by 96 cents, or 1.57%, ending the session at $60.19.
This morning, Brent crude futures lost $1.83, or 2.75%, to $64.69 per barrel, and the WTI fell $1.75, or 2.82%, to $60.27 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures decreased by 0.42% to $4,616.10 per Troy ounce.
