· Asia shares loiter as S&P futures climb fresh peak
Asian share markets lagged on Thursday as U.S. stock futures nudged to another record high after the Federal Reserve underlined its commitment to keeping policy super loose even as the economy enjoys a rapid recovery.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat, and also little changed on the week. Japan’s Nikkei eased 0.3% and Chinese blue chips 0.1%, with trading very subdued.
The outperformance of the U.S. economy helped S&P 500 futures add 0.3% to a new peak, while Nasdaq futures gained 0.4%. EUROSTOXX 50 futures firmed 0.2% and FTSE futures 0.3%.
· Japan shares slip on coronavirus concerns
Japanese stocks fell on Thursday, weighed by concerns over a spike in domestic coronavirus infections and the potential return of restrictions on economic activity.
The Nikkei 225 Index ended down 0.07% at 29,708.98, while the broader Topix fell 0.79% to 1,951.86.
· China shares end higher as healthcare firms gain on vaccination efforts
China shares closed higher on Thursday, with healthcare shares leading the gains as the country ramped up vaccination efforts amid the emergence of a new cluster of infections.
At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.08% at 3,482.55.
The blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.17%, with its healthcare sub-index up 1.74% and the consumer staples sector up 0.97%.
· European markets advance, tracking global gains
European stocks climbed on Thursday, tracking gains overnight in the Asia-Pacific markets following a rise in the U.S. stock futures.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 gained 0.5% in early trade, with basic resources adding 1.2% to lead gains as all sectors and major bourses entered positive territory.
Reference: CNBC, Reuters
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