Asia-Pacific markets largely rose on Thursday after Japan’s GDP growth beat expectations, while traders also digested China retail sales, industrial output and urban unemployment data for July.
The Nikkei 225 index jumped 284.21 points, or 0.8%, to 36,726.64.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index fell 4.22 points to 17,109.14
Japan’s second-quarter gross domestic product beat market expectations on a quarter-on-quarter basis, climbing 0.8% compared to forecasts of a 0.5% rise from economists polled by Reuters.
This was also a reversal from the revised 0.6% fall seen in the first quarter.
However, on a year-on-year basis, the country’s GDP fell for a second straight quarter, down 0.8% and extending from the first quarter’s contraction of 0.9%.
Australian markets gained ground, after the country’s unemployment rate for July ticked up 0.1 percentage point to 4.2%. Its participation rate also climbed to 67.1%, beating the 66.9% expected by economists polled by Reuters.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 rebounded 32.71 points, or 1%, to 3,341.95.
China’s retail sales grew 2.7% year on year, beating expectations for a 2.6% growth from economists polled by Reuters. Industrial output on the other hand, grew 5.1% compared to forecasts of 5.2%. The urban unemployment rate climbed slightly to 5.2% from 5% in June.
In other markets,
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 rebounded 32.71 points, or 1%, to 3,341.95.
In Taiwan, the Taiex index retreated 132.08 points, or 0.6%, to 21,894.17.
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index hiked 29.45 points, or 0.9%, to 3,315.73.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 gained 138.03 points, or 1.1%, to 12,710.57.
In Australia, the ASX 200 added 14.82 points, or 0.2%, to 7,865.52.
Markets in Korea were shuttered for holiday.
