Investing.com - APAC stock indices were mixed on Thursday, following positive signals from the US Federal Reserve indicating potential rate cuts, while US tech stocks gained overnight.
By 10:45 am AEST (12:45 am GMT) the S&P/ASX 200 and KOSPI 200 lifted 0.5% apiece, while the Nikkei 225, shed 2.4%.
US stocks and government bonds rallied on the final day of July, concluding a volatile month with substantial gains. The three major indexes opened strongly and maintained their gains after the Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady. However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank is prepared to cut rates in September if inflation continues to decline.
The NASDAQ Composite, heavily influenced by technology stocks, surged 2.6%, marking its best day since February. The S&P 500 climbed 1.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.2%.
The Russell 2000, an index of small-cap companies, increased by 0.5%, following a strong performance throughout July, where it soared 10%—its best showing this year. The anticipation of lower interest rates has boosted cyclical sectors and smaller US stocks, which are sensitive to borrowing costs.
Tech stocks rebounded overnight as investors showed renewed interest. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares surged by 13%, while Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) gained 7.1%. Other semiconductor companies also saw rallies, reversing some of July's declines.
In commodity markets, Brent crude oil climbed by 3.6% to $80.84 a barrel, while gold remained flat at $2,447.75.
Chinese shares rose, driven by gains in securities and insurance stocks. The Shanghai Composite Index increased by 2.1% to 2938.75, the Shenzhen Composite Index climbed by 3.3%, and the ChiNext Price Index added 3.5%. Securities stocks led the gains with Cinda Securities up 9.7% and China Galaxy Securities up 8.5%. Insurance stocks also performed well, with New China Life Insurance and China Life Insurance rising by 4.2% and 4.1%, respectively. However, Bank of Jiangsu fell by 0.5% and Bank of Hangzhou dropped by 0.2%.
Hong Kong shares closed higher amidst positive investor sentiment. The Hang Seng Index rose by 2.0% to 17344.60, and the Hang Seng Tech Index increased by 3.0%. Tech and health stocks led the gains, with Wuxi Biologics (Cayman) up 9.7% and WuXi AppTec up 7.4%. Lenovo and Xiaomi advanced by 3.7% and 3.2%, respectively. HSBC shares rose by 4.6% after declaring a $3 billion buyback despite a quarterly profit drop, while Hang Seng Bank fell by 5.75% after its first-half earnings report.
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average increased by 1.5% to close at 39101.82, recovering earlier losses due to investor dip-buying following the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) monetary policy decision. The BOJ raised rates more aggressively than expected but fell short on its JGB purchase tapering. Top performers included Screen Holdings, which jumped by 9.2%, Toyo Suisan Kaisha, up 7.7%, and Tokyo Electron, rising by 7.4%. The USD/JPY was around 152.95, compared to 154.67 from the previous day's close. The 10-year JGB yield increased by 6.5 basis points to 1.060%.
Indian shares ended higher, with the Sensex rising by 0.35% to 81741.34. Investors are closely watching the Fed's rate decision for more clues about a widely expected rate cut in September. Steel stocks led the gains, with JSW Steel rising by 3.6% and Tata Steel adding 0.8%. Decliners included Infosys, which fell by 0.5%, and Tata Motors, down 0.5%.
UK stocks gained on Wednesday, with the FTSE 100 Index increasing by 1.1% to 8367.98. Rathbones Group PLC was the biggest gainer, jumping by 7.5%, followed by Zegona Communications PLC, which surged by 7.4%. Yellow Cake PLC rose by 6.3%.
Among the decliners, Craneware PLC fell by 3.4%, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC by 2.9%, and GSK PLC by 2.0%.
Elsewhere in Europe, markets also closed higher. The STOXX Europe 600 Index rose by 0.8% to 518.18, Germany's DAX added 0.5% to 18,508.65, and France's CAC 40 climbed by 0.8% to 7,531.49.