Japan +0.71%. Japan’s January trade balance -3,496.6 billion yen (vs. expected -3,976.7 billion yen, previous -1,448.5 billion yen).
Japan December Basic machinery orders +1.6% m/m (vs. 2.8% expected, prior -8.3%).
Porcelain -0.44%. January house prices in China were stable at 0.0% m/m (previously -0.25%).
Hong Kong +1.03%.
Australia +0.79%. australia january Job change -11.5K (expected +20K) Unemployment rate 3.7% (3.5%).
Australian Consumer Inflation Expectations Survey for February 5.1% (was 5.6%).
India +0.50%.
Overnight on Wall Street, the major stock indices closed the day higher after a surprise rise in the January retail sales report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led the gains and gained more than 250 points from its intraday low to close at 34,128.05, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.28% and 0.92%, respectively.
Investors digested the latest data on retail sales, which in January were better than expected. The figures showed a 3% increase for the month, compared with a 1.1% drop in December. The figure exceeded the 1.7% advance that economists had predicted.
Oil prices edged higher in early Asian trading on Thursday as the market shrugged off a mammoth build in US crude inventories and the International Energy Agency boosted its demand outlook.
Brent crude futures U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 34 cents at $78.93.
Gold prices regained some ground on Thursday as the US dollar eased, although the prospect of more interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve kept investors on edge.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $1,840.94 an ounce by 0333 GMT after hitting its lowest level since early January on Wednesday. usa gold futures increased 0.3% to $1,850.20.
Gold prices regained some ground on Thursday as the US dollar eased, although the prospect of more interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve kept investors on edge.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $1,840.94 an ounce by 0333 GMT after hitting its lowest level since early January on Wednesday. usa gold futures increased 0.3% to $1,850.20.
US futures mostly up. dow jones -0.04%; S&P 500 +0.08%; Nasdaq +0.21%.