Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index
Low angle view of tall buildings displaying various architectural styles in Tokyo, Japan
George Pachantouris | An | Getty Images
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index reached 58,000 for the first time in its history on Thursday, extending its post-election rally to new highs as confidence in domestic politics and the ruling administration’s economic agenda grew.
Topix rose 0.45%.
Other markets in Asia also saw stronger-than-expected US employment data reduce expectations for the Fed’s interest rate cut, causing US stocks to decline overnight.
South Korean Kospi gained 1.12%, while small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.22%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.42% in early trade.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures settled at 27,206, below the HSI’s last close of 27,266.38.
In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average index ended its three-day rising streak overnight after the January employment report was better than expected.
The blue chip index closed at 50,121.40, losing 66.74 points, or 0.13%. The S&P 500 was almost flat at 6,941.47. Nasdaq Composite index closed at 23,066.47 points, down 0.16 percent.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January nonfarm payrolls report showed a 130,000 increase in jobs in January. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had predicted gains of 55,000. Employment growth in December was revised downwards to 48,000.
The strong labor market reduced the possibility of a Fed rate cut.
The jobs report follows weaker-than-expected consumer data released on Tuesday. That report showed consumer spending held steady in December, missing the 0.4% monthly gain economists polled by Dow Jones expected.
—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Liz Napolitano contributed to this report.
