- Industrial profits in China soared 57% year-on-year in April, the National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday.
- Shares of Xiaomi in Hong Kong jumped almost 2% by Thursday afternoon after the Chinese smartphone maker on Wednesday reported a nearly 55% surge in its first quarter revenue as compared with the same period a year earlier.
(CNBC)/SINGAPORE — Shares in Asia-Pacific were mixed in Thursday trade as investors reacted to the release of Chinese industrial profits data for April.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dipped 0.3%. Shares of Xiaomi in Hong Kong jumped 1.95% by Thursday afternoon after the Chinese smartphone maker on Wednesday reported a nearly 55% surge in its first quarter revenue as compared with the same period a year earlier.
Mainland Chinese stocks were higher by the afternoon, with the Shanghai composite rising 0.18% while the Shenzhen component gained 0.375%. Industrial profits in China soared 57% year-on-year in April, the National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday.
The Nikkei 225 in Japan slipped 0.45% while the Topix index declined 0.33%. Over in South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.28%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.26% higher.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.22%.
| TICKER | COMPANY | NAME | PRICE | CHANGE | %CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .N225 | Nikkei 225 Index | NIKKEI | 28549.01 | -93.18 | -0.33 |
| .HSI | Hang Seng Index | HSI | 29093.27 | -72.74 | -0.25 |
| .AXJO | S&P/ASX 200 | ASX 200 | 7094.90 | 2.40 | 0.03 |
| .SSEC | Shanghai | SHANGHAI | 3609.27 | 15.91 | 0.44 |
| .KS11 | KOSPI Index | KOSPI | 3165.51 | -2.92 | -0.09 |
| .FTFCNBCA | CNBC 100 ASIA IDX | CNBC 100 | 10940.48 | -49.04 | -0.45 |
Currencies and oil
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 90.038 following a recent climb from below 89.7.
The Japanese yen traded at 109.06 per dollar, weaker than levels below 108.9 against the greenback seen yesterday. The Australian dollar was at $0.7741, as compared to levels above $0.777 seen yesterday.
Oil prices were lower in the afternoon of Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures slipping 0.65% to $68.42 per barrel. U.S. crude futures shed 0.6% to $65.81 per barrel.