Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after Wall Street closed at record highs. Data showed that China’s quarterly growth slowed slightly but was in line with expectations.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.5 per cent to 21,474.80, while South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.3 per cent to 2,474.79. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.1 per cent to 28,698.05.
The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.4 per cent to 3,368.62. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.1 per cent to 5,895.90, according to AP.
Stocks in Taiwan and Singapore were higher but elsewhere in Southeast Asia, they were lower.
US stocks finished with modest gains on Wednesday recording more milestones for Wall Street. The S&P 500 index rose 0.1 per cent to 2,561.26, a record high.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 23,157.60, up 0.7 per cent. The Nasdaq composite index was flat at 6,624.22. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gained 0.5 per cent to 1,505.14.
Benchmark US crude lost 9 cents to $52.17 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 15 cents to settle at $52.26 a barrel on Wednesday.
Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 11 cents to $58.04 per barrel in London. It gained 27 cents to close at $58.15 a barrel on Wednesday.
The dollar rose to 112.98 yen from 112.93 yen. The euro strengthened to $1.1801 from $1.1788.
