Asian Stocks Mixed; Hong Kong Property Developers Gain on New Government Measures

Investing.com – Asian equities were mixed in morning trade on Thursday. Hong Kong markets climbed, led by property developers after the government announced measures to ease the city’s housing shortage.

Hong Kong’s rose 1.0% to 26,905.25 by 10:30 PM ET (02:30 GMT).

Shares of New World Development Co Ltd (HK:) gained 3.5%, while Henderson Land (HK:) and CK Asset Holdings Ltd (HK:) climbed 2.5% and 1.7% respectively.

The gains came after Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam announced on Wednesday measures to ease the city’s housing problems.

In the U.S., Republican senators said overnight that they want to move on issues to support pro democracy protestors in Hong Kong “as rapidly as we can” despite China’s threat to retaliate.

The U.S. House passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act on Tuesday. The bill would subject the city’s special status to annual reviews and provides sanctions against any person deemed undermining Hong Kong’s “fundamental freedoms and autonomy.”

China’s and the both inched up 0.1%. There were growing concerns about how firm the “phase one” trade deal between Beijing and Washington really is.

U.S. President Donald Trump said under the deal, China would be buying $50 billion to $60 billion in U.S. farm products “in less than two years.” But some analysts told The Wall Street Journal that that’s way beyond what China has bought in any one year.

The deal ultimately could hinge on the U.S. suspending imposition of new 15% tariffs on $156 billion in Chinese imports, reports said, adding that China may balk at the farm purchases if the tariffs aren’t suspended.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said overnight that the two sides are working on details of the trade deal text, hinting that there might be more meetings to come.

“As of now, there’s no invitation and there’s no plan” for a high-level meeting. “That doesn’t mean we won’t go,” he said.

Japan’s traded 0.1% higher.

South Korea’s fell 0.2%.

Down under, Australia’s dropped 0.5%.

Shares of BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:) slumped more than 2% after the company said its iron ore production for the third quarter dropped due to a planned maintenance at a key port. The miner maintained its fiscal 2020 iron ore production forecast.

On the data front, 14,700 were added in September, the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed. The figure is lower than the 15,000 that analysts expected.

Disclaimer: Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. All CFDs (stocks, indexes, futures) and Forex prices are not provided by exchanges but rather by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual market price, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Therefore Fusion Media doesn`t bear any responsibility for any trading losses you might incur as a result of using this data.

Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.