Business

Asian markets up in light holiday trading, wary of BOJ moves

Posted September 15, 2016 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

FILE - In this Monday, July 6, 2015, file photo, a man uses a mobile phone while walking by a building in the Financial District in New York. U.S. stocks are slightly higher in early trading Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016, as utility companies climb. Energy companies are trading lower as the price of oil continues to slip. Stocks are at their lowest levels in two months after large losses in two of the previous three days. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) - Stocks edged higher in Asia on Friday, with many regional markets closed for mid-autumn holidays. Investors are watching to see if the Bank of Japan opts to ease its lax monetary policy further at a policy meeting next week.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.4 percent to 16,468.22 and Australia's S&P ASX 200 added 1.1 percent to 5,298.90. Shares were higher in Indonesia and Singapore. Markets were closed in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.

WALL STREET: U.S. stocks climbed Thursday as Apple led a big gain for technology companies and energy companies recovered some of their recent losses. Investors mulled mixed economic reports seeking clues about the Federal Reserve's intentions and the health of the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 1 percent to 18,212.48. The Standard & Poor's 500 index also jumped 1 percent, to 2,147.26. The Nasdaq composite gained 1.5 percent to 5,249.69.

BANK OF JAPAN WATCH: Some analysts believe the Bank of Japan may increase asset purchases up to 100 trillion yen a year from the current, or take its negative policy rate to minus 0.3 percent from minus 0.1 percent. But expectations have risen that the central bank will take fresh action to spur growth.

ANALYST VIEWPOINT: "Added to the mix is uncertainty over the Bank of Japan's next move," Bernard Aw of IG said in a commentary. "Whatever is the case, market volatility is likely to ratchet up as we head into next week."

BANK OF ENGLAND: Overnight, the Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.25 percent after a run of better-than-anticipated news after voters opted to leave the European Union. The Monetary Policy Committee noted a "less negative" near-term outlook for the housing market and better than anticipated consumption data.

OIL PRICES: Benchmark U.S. crude lost 23 cents to $43.68 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 33 cents Thursday to $43.91 per barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 24 cents to $46.35 per barrel. It gained 74 cents in London.

CURRENCIES: The euro slipped to $1.1242 from $1.1248 while the dollar rose to 102.08 yen from 101.97 yen.

FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2015 file photo, Specialist Mark Fitzgerald, right, works at the post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange that trades Pandora. Pandora says it has revamped its $5 a month Internet radio service, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, giving listeners the ability to skip and replay more songs. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

FILE - This July 15, 2013, file photo, shows the New York Stock Exchange. Global markets traded in narrow ranges Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, ahead of a raft of U.S. economic data that could impact on market expectations over when the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) The Associated Press

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