Asian shares mostly lower after US stocks fall back
ABC News
Asian shares have mostly declined after indexes shuffled lower on Wall Street
TOKYO -- Asian shares mostly declined Thursday after stock indexes shuffled lower on Wall Street.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 0.3% to finish at 29,598.66, although it had momentarily picked up after major business daily Nikkei reported Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will propose Friday a government stimulus package totaling a record 55.7 trillion yen ($488 billion). The rally quickly ran out of steam as more sobering concerns, such as the coronavirus pandemic, weighed in.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1% to 7,379.20, while South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.4% to 2,952.19. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.3% to 25,312.09. The Shanghai Composite shed 0.4% to 3,525.09.
“Without a positive lead from Wall Street overnight and a relatively quiet day in terms of economic data, sentiments in the region may be on hold, potentially leading to some sideways movement,” said Yeap Jun Rong, a market strategist at IG in Singapore.
