Asian Markets Trade Mixed

(RTTNews) - Asian stock markets are trading mixed on Thursday, following the mixed cues from other global markets overnight, as traders largely stayed reluctant to make significant moves amid a lack of any new catalyst after a holiday on Wall Street and mixed cues from other global markets. Asian Markets closed mixed on Wednesday.

The Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank are scheduled to make their monetary policy announcements later in the day.

The Australian market is slightly lower on Thursday in choppy trading, adding to the slight losses in the previous session, as the market searches for direction, following the mixed cues from other global markets overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is staying well above the 7,700 level, with losses in some mining and financial stocks.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is losing 5.80 points or 0.08 percent to 7,763.90, after hitting a low of 7,759.90 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 4.00 points or 0.05 percent to 8,006.50. Australian stocks ended slightly lower on Wednesday.

Among major miners, Rio Tinto is gaining almost 1 percent, Fortescue Metals is adding more than 1 percent and BHP Group is edging up 0.2 percent, while Mineral Resources is edging down 0.3 percent.

Oil stocks are mostly higher. Woodside Energy, Beach energy and Santos are edging up 0.2 to 0.3 percent each, while Origin Energy is edging down 0.2 percent.

In the tech space, Xero and WiseTech Global are edging down 0.2 to 0.4 percent each, while Zip is losing more than 1 percent. Appen is adding more than 1 percent and Afterpay owner Block is edging up 0.1 percent.

Among the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Banking, National Australia Bank and Westpac are edging down 0.1 to 0.4 percent each.

Among gold miners, Evolution Mining is losing almost 3 percent, while Newmont and Northern Star Resources edging down 0.2 to 0.5 percent each. Resolute Mining is gaining more than 3 percent and Gold Road Resources is adding almost 1 percent.

In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.667 on Thursday.

Giving up the gains in the previous two sessions, the Japanese market is significantly lower on Thursday, following the mixed cues from other global markets overnight. The Nikkei 225 is falling below the 38,300 level, with losses across most sectors led by index heavyweights, financial and technology stocks.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed the morning session at 38,324.10, down 246.66 points or 0.64 percent, after hitting a low of 38,263.08 earlier. Japanese shares ended modestly higher on Wednesday.

Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is edging up 0.3 percent, while Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is losing more than 1 percent. Among automakers, Toyota is losing almost 2 percent and Honda is also declining almost 2 percent.

In the tech space, Advantest is edging down 0.5 percent, Tokyo Electron is losing almost 1 percent and Screen Holdings is declining almost 1 percent.

In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial is losing more than 1 percent, Mizuho Financial is down almost 1 percent and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial is declining almost 2 percent.

Among the major exporters, Canon is losing 1.5 percent and Mitsubishi Electric is declining more than 2 percent, while Panasonic and Sony are edging down 0.1 to 0.4 percent each.

Among other major losers, Fujikura is plunging more than 5 percent, while Nidec and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are losing almost 4 percent each. Mitsui Mining & Smelting, Keisei Electric Railway and NEXON are down more than 3 percent each, while IHI, Mitsubishi Estate, Furukawa Electric, Teijin, Trend Micro and Nippon Yusen K.K. are declining almost 3 percent each.

Conversely, Isuzu Motors is gaining almost 3 percent.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 158 yen-range on Thursday.

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia are higher by between 0.1 and 0.5 percent each, while China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore are lower by between 0.1 and 0.4 percent each. Taiwan is relatively flat.

On Wall Street, the markets were closed for Juneteenth National Independence Day on Wednesday after closing modestly higher on Tuesday.

The major European markets were mixed on the day. Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 ended lower by 0.35 percent and 0.77 percent, respectively. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 gained 0.17 percent.