Asian Markets Respond Positively to Fed's Steady Rates

Following the United States Federal Reserve's announcement to keep interest rates unchanged, major stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region experienced gains during Thursday's afternoon session. This movement mirrored the upward trend seen in Wall Street indexes post-announcement.

Bank of Japan Hints at Potential Rate Hikes

In contrast, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) has signaled a readiness to consider increasing interest rates, contingent on economic growth and inflation meeting their projections. This has added an interesting dynamic to the regional financial landscape.

Market Performances Across Asia

Japan's Nikkei saw a 0.46% increase, while South Korea's Kospi rose by 0.55%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.80%, and Australia's S&P/ASX advanced by 0.21%. In mainland China, the Shenzhen Composite and Shanghai Composite grew by 0.78% and 0.21%, respectively.

The dollar also saw a slight gain against the yen, trading at ¥143.9890.