Mar. 16 – Shares around the region reflected cautiousness today as investors waited for the results of the important policy meetings by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan slated later this week .
Japanese exporter stocks dipped after days of solid gains. Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average for 225 companies dropped by 0.3 percent to 10721.71 while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 grew by 0.3 percent.
New Zealand’s NZX 50 lost 0.7 percent while Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.8 percent. The Shanghai Composite in China gained 0.5 percent after two sessions of decline. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dipped by 0.3 percent and India’s Sensex gained 0.3 percent with Singapore’s Straits Times Index gaining 0.4 percent.
According to the Associated Press, the central bank is expected to maintain its benchmark interest rate at 0.1 percent Wednesday, though there’s growing speculation it will ease policy in other ways, possibly by expanding loan programs and other steps to keep money cheap and available as the world’s second-largest economy heals.
