Major stock indexes in the Asia-Pacific region traded mostly higher on Wednesday, as investors awaited the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) rate decision.
Furthermore, a batch of data releases showed that Japan's retail trade expanded, while the country's industrial output decreased in June. Australian retail sales rose in June, slightly beating expectations. Meanwhile, China's manufacturing PMI landed in the contractionary territory in July.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.16% at 4:09 am CET, leading Asian markets. South Korea's Kospi Composite added 0.10% a minute later. Hong Kong's Hang Seng increased by 0.81% at 4:10 am CET, while, on the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Composite increased by 0.51% and 1.13%, respectively and Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 0.71% at 4:12 am CET.
The dollar traded 0.07% higher against the yen, going for ¥152.8710 at 4:13 am CET.
