Asia-Pacific Markets Show Mixed Reactions

Following the announcement of a new trade agreement between the United States and South Korea by President Donald Trump, Asia-Pacific markets experienced varied trading outcomes on Thursday.

Economic Indicators Across Asia

Japan reported a 1% increase in retail trade and a 1.7% rise in industrial output for June, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Meanwhile, China's manufacturing activity saw a slight decline in July, as per the National Bureau of Statistics. Australia witnessed a 1.2% surge in retail sales for May, according to the Bureau of Statistics.

Market Performance Highlights

At 3:24 am CET, South Korea's Kospi remained flat. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped by 1.34%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.86% by 3:26 am CET. Mainland China's Shanghai Composite decreased by 0.87%, and the Shenzhen Composite fell by 0.68%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 also traded flat by 3:28 am CET.

In currency news, the dollar was down 0.43% against the yen, trading at 148.88100 by 4:29 am CET.