Asian markets mixed, reported by Associated Press on Wednesday session

Tokyo, April 17, 2024, The latest trading session in Asian markets on Wednesday showcased a mixed picture, as reported by the Associated Press. The Nikkei 225, Japan's prominent benchmark, experienced a slight decline of 0.5% during afternoon trading, settling at 38,296.69. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 saw a marginal uptick of less than 0.1%, reaching 7,618.50. Korea's Kospi remained relatively stable, edging down to 2,608.93. In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slipped by 0.2% to 16,219.84, while the Shanghai Composite index gained notably by 1.1% to 3,040.72.

Turning to energy markets, the benchmark US crude oil experienced a decrease of 52 cents, reaching $84.54 per barrel. Similarly, Brent crude, the global standard, witnessed a decline of 45 cents, settling at $89.57 per barrel.

In the realm of currency trading, the US dollar saw a minor decline against the Japanese yen, dropping to 154.64 yen from the previous 154.65 yen. Conversely, the euro strengthened slightly, rising to $1.0623 from $1.0617.