View of Shanghai skyline from a container station.
Yaorusheng | Moment | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed ahead of China’s April trade data, as well as pay statistics from Japan.
Economists polled by Reuters are expecting a 1.5% rise in China’s exports, a reversal from the 7.5% fall in March. Imports are also expected to grow 4.8% year-on-year in April, compared with a 1.9% fall in March.
Separately, investors will assess pay statistics from Japan as they look for any signs of the “virtuous cycle” of increasing wages and prices envisioned by the Bank of Japan.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.15%, while the broad based Topix was up 0.29%.
South Korea’s Kospi retreated from a one-month high, falling 0.21% on its open, while the small cap Kosdaq was also down 0.13%.
The Australian S&P/ASX 200 inched down 0.23%.
Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 18,277, pointing to a weaker open compared to the HSI’s close of 18,313.86.
Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average extended its winning streak to six days, as investors shook off some weakness in tech.
The Dow added 0.44% and notched its longest stretch of positive days in 2024. The S&P 500 inched lower and closed near the flatline, while the Nasdaq Composite pulled back by 0.18%.
Investors are also digesting a slew of Federal Reserve commentary. Boston Fed President Susan Collins said in remarks on Wednesday that the Fed’s interest rate policy will likely need to remain at its current level until inflation is moving “sustainably” toward the central bank’s 2% target.
— CNBC’s Pia Singh and Alex Harring contributed to this report.