Asia-Pacific Shares Finish Mostly Higher; China Central Bank Comments Ease Inflation Concerns

Asia-Pacific Shares Finish Mostly Higher; China Central Bank Comments Ease Inflation Concerns

The major Asia-Pacific stock indexes closed mostly higher on Thursday, as investors positioned themselves ahead of the release of a U.S. consumer inflation report for May.

Japan's Nikkei ended higher on economic rebound hopes. Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended slightly lower as investors awaited the U.S. inflation data. South Korean stocks ended higher on foreign buying. Shares in China rose as inflation fears eased, and in Australia, technology and banking stocks were strong.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Index settled at 28958.56, up 97.76 or +0.34%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng finished at 28738.88, down 3.75 or -0.01% and South Korea's KOSPI Index closed at 3224.64, up 8.46 or +0.26%.