Japanese stocks gained Thursday after the Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged and near zero percent. The Bank of Japan’s policy board decided by a 6-3 margin to leave its benchmark interest rate at 0.25 percent.
Japanese stocks rose to a nine-month high Thursday following the central bank's decision to keep interest rates unchanged. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 109.58 points, or 0.63 percent, to close at 17,370.93 points on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Gainers included exporter issues like Honda Motor Co. and camera manufacturer Nikon Corp. A weaker yen inflates exporters' overseas earnings.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index ended 1.1 percent higher at 20,277.51. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, an index of mainland-incorporated shares listed in Hong Kong, gained 0.3 percent to 9,944.24. China Mobile led gains among Hang Seng Index constituents, rising 2 percent, while Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, operator of the Honk Kong stock exchange, rose 2.6 percent.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thailand's SET Index ended 0.5 percent higher.
BOMBAY: India's Bombay Sensex index rose 0.6 percent to 14,217.75.
JAKARTA: Indonesia's JSX Composite was up 1.1 percent.
KUALA LAMPUR: Malaysia's KLSE Composite rose 0.7 percent.
MANILA: The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 1.3 percent
SEOUL: South Korea's Kospi index gained 0.3 percent.
SHANGHAI: China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.8 percent..
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Straits Times Index rose 0.8 percent to 3,061.65.
SYDNEY: Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.5 percent.
TAIPEI: Taiwan's Weighted Price Index gained 0.8 percent
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's NZX-50 was up 0.6 percent.
With files from wire services
