Asia-Pacific markets took a breather after two straight days of rallies, mirroring moves on Wall Street ahead of first-quarter gross domestic product figures from the U.S. due Thursday.
The Nikkei 225 Index erased gains from the day before, losing 831.6 points, or 2.2%, to 37,628.48. The yen was still trading firmly beyond the 155 mark against the greenback, at 155.63.
The Bank of Japan kicked off its monetary policy meeting Thursday as investors continue to monitor for action against yen weakness. The yen slid past the 155 mark against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, hitting a fresh 34-year low.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index advanced 83.27 points, or 0.5%, to 17,284.54.
Investors will also assess South Korea’s advance first-quarter GDP growth of 3.4% year on year, the highest quarterly growth since the fourth quarter of 2021.
In other markets
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 eked higher 8.66 points, or 0.3%, to 3,530.28.
In Korea, the Kospi retreated 47.13 points, or 1.8%, to 2,628.62.
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index sank 5.38 points, or 0.2%, to 3,287.75.
In Taiwan, the Taiex index tumbled 274.32 points, or 1.4%, to 19,857.42.
Markets in Australia and New Zealand were closed in honour of ANZAC Day
