HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks were mostly lower in thin trading on Thursday as U.S. markets were closed Wednesday for Independence Day.
U.S. futures and oil prices were mixed.
Tokyo’s Nikkei stock average rose 0.1% to 38,324.10.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.5% to 18,336.76. The Hang Seng Technology Index fell 1.4% after rising 3.7% on Wednesday, thanks to gains from Nvidia. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.3% to 3,009.72.
The Chinese yuan is trading at its lowest level this year, with the central exchange rate set at 7.1192 yuan per U.S. dollar, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trading System.
The central parity rate is based on a weighted average of prices quoted by market makers before the interbank market opens each business day.
The People’s Bank of China on Thursday kept its one-year benchmark lending rate at 3.45% and its five-year prime rate at 3.95%. The one-year prime rate serves as the benchmark for most corporate and household loans, while the five-year rate is used as the benchmark for mortgages secured by property.
Meanwhile, markets are digesting comments from People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng at a financial forum in Shanghai, where he said China will continue to ease monetary policy to support the economy.
In Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.1% to 7,766.30. South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.2% to 2,802.00.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Taiex rose 0.1%, while Bangkok’s SET fell 0.3%.
European stock markets were mostly lower on Wednesday. In London, the FTSE 100 rose 0.2% to 8,205.11 after data showed British inflation had fallen below the central bank’s 2% target. The data also confirmed market expectations that the Bank of England would keep interest rates on hold at 5.25% for the time being.
Germany’s DAX index fell 0.4% to 18,067.91, while Paris’ CAC 40 index lost 0.8% to 7,570.20.
U.S. markets reopen on Thursday. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 5,487.03, hitting its 31st all-time high this year. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose less than 0.1% to 17,862.23. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% to 38,834.86.
Nvidia was the star again, rising 3.5% to be the strongest driver lifting the S&P 500. The company’s market capitalization once again surpassed $3 trillion.
Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 15 cents to $80.56 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange early Thursday.
Brent crude rose 8 cents to $85.15 a barrel.
The dollar rose to 158.17 yen from 158.10 yen. The euro fell to 1.0742 dollars from 1.0745 dollars.
