SHCI, SZCI See Losses Widen to 4%-5.5%; Nikkei Up 0.5%

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) today (20 April) carried out RMB250 billion reverse repos with a term of seven days in the open market. However, Shanghai Composite Index and Shenzhen Component Index saw losses widen to 4%/ 5.5% to 2,920/ 10,014. Asia Pacific stock markets also headed south. In particular, Hang Seng Index and Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index retreated 1.3%/ 1.2% to 21,151/ 8,530. Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore bourses were also soften.

However, Nikkei 225 Stock Average continued higher 0.5% to 16,953. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 further gained 0.4% to 5,210.
New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 Index Gross continued higher 0.5% to 
6,908, hitting new high again. Shares in Vietnam and India markets recorded a gain of less than 0.4%, while South Korea bourses steadied.