Asia-Pacific markets exhibited a mixed performance on Thursday as investors evaluated the recent policy decision by the Bank of Korea. South Korea’s central bank maintained its benchmark interest rate at 2.50%, aligning with forecasts, as the recent depreciation of the won has limited the scope for policy easing. The country’s benchmark index experienced an increase of 1.58%, reaching a record high of 4,797.55, while the small-cap index saw a rise of 0.95%, concluding the trading day at 951.16. The South Korean won depreciated approximately 0.2% to 1,466.6 per dollar.

The Nikkei 225 experienced a decline of 0.42%, settling at 54,110.5, whereas the Topix recorded an increase of 0.68%, reaching 3,668.98. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 experienced an increase of 0.47%, reaching a level of 8,861.7. Shares of Toyota Industries experienced a notable increase of 5.8% following the announcement from Toyota Motors late Wednesday regarding its agreement to raise its bid for Toyota Industries to 18,800 yen. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong experienced a decline of 0.66%, whereas the CSI 300 registered a decrease of 0.42%.

Trip.com shares experienced a decline of up to 21%, positioning it as the most significant laggard on the Hong Kong index, following the announcement by China’s market regulator on Wednesday regarding the initiation of an investigation into the online travel platform for alleged monopolistic practices. The company experienced a decline of 17.2% in its last trading session. The Japanese yen appreciated slightly to 158.34 in relation to the dollar. Market participants are closely monitoring the potential for intervention by Japanese authorities following the recent decline of the currency to an 18-month low earlier this week. The Indian markets experienced a closure due to a holiday. In the U.S. overnight, equities declined for a second consecutive session, retreating further from their peak levels, as market participants processed a new set of earnings reports and kept an eye on geopolitical events. The S&P 500 experienced a decline of 0.53%, concluding the session at 6,926.60.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a decline of 42.36 points, representing a decrease of 0.09%, concluding the session at 49,149.63. The Nasdaq Composite experienced a decline of 1%, concluding at 23,471.75. All three indexes experienced declines for the second consecutive day. The technology sector weighed heavily on the overall market performance. Chip stocks, in particular, experienced declines, with Broadcom decreasing by 4% and both Nvidia and Micron Technology dropping by over 1% each. On Wednesday, it is reported, citing sources familiar with the situation, that Chinese customs authorities have informed customs agents that Nvidia’s H200 chips are prohibited from entering the country.