This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34795039
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Investors in Asia remain cautious on Thursday | Investors in Asia remain cautious on Thursday |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Shares in Asia were mostly lacklustre on Thursday as investors continued to worry about a possible rate rise in the US and an ongoing slowdown in China. | |
| Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index was flat, down 0.02% at 19,687.01 despite some better-than expected economic numbers. | |
| Japan's core machinery orders rose by 7.5% in September from a month earlier - the first rise in four months. | |
| Machinery orders are seen as an indicator of company spending. | Machinery orders are seen as an indicator of company spending. |
| On a year on year basis, the country's machinery orders fell 1.7% in September compared to forecasts for a drop of about 4%. | On a year on year basis, the country's machinery orders fell 1.7% in September compared to forecasts for a drop of about 4%. |
| Analysts said the numbers were better than expected but that they still reflected the ongoing slowdown in China, one of Japan's most important trading partners. | Analysts said the numbers were better than expected but that they still reflected the ongoing slowdown in China, one of Japan's most important trading partners. |
| In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index recovered earlier losses by mid morning and edged up 0.02% at 5,123.40. | |
| Investors will be watching the index through the day after job numbers released for October showed the country's unemployment number falling to 5.9% from 6.2% a month earlier. Analysts said the numbers were strong and would be likely to give a boost to investor sentiment. | Investors will be watching the index through the day after job numbers released for October showed the country's unemployment number falling to 5.9% from 6.2% a month earlier. Analysts said the numbers were strong and would be likely to give a boost to investor sentiment. |
| South Korea's benchmark Kospi index was flat, down just 0.08% at 1,995.59 in mid morning trade after the Bank of Korea kept its interest rate on hold. | |
| Among other businesses and government offices, the stock market opened an hour later than usual on Thursday as the country marked students sitting their all-important college entrance test. | |
| In China, markets were mixed, with the Shanghai Composite down 0.74% at 3,623.35 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng benchmark index up 0.69% at 22,506.76. |