Copyright Star Tribune
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index bounced lower and then inched up less than 0.1% to 51,333.51 after the Bank of Japan kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged. South Korea's Kospi index broke through the 4,000 mark for the first time, edging up 0.1% to 4,084.91 after climbing more than 1% earlier in the day following reports of progress in Washington's trade talks with South Korea. Solid corporate earnings also boosted shares in tech, auto and shipbuilding. In Chinese markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.8% to 26,555.36 while the Shanghai Composite index added less than 0.1% to 4,017.95. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Thursday cut its base rate by 25 basis points to 4.25%. It always follows the U.S. lead in interest rate policies since the value of Hong Kong's currency is linked to the U.S. dollar. Trump told reporters he was cutting average tariffs on Chinese goods to 47% from 57%, effective immediately after his first face-to-face meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years. He cited progress by Beijing in curbing exports of fentanyl and the chemicals used to make it. Trump also said China was keeping its policy of tighter restrictions on exports of rare earths and related technologies on hold for a year, and he expects that agreement to be extended. 's aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term combined with China's retaliatory limits on exports of rare earth elements have given the meeting newfound urgency. The encounter was a chance for the leaders of the world's two largest economies to stabilize relations after months of turmoil over trade issues. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks bounced around their records on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve made moves to boost the job market but also warned that more help isn't guaranteed. The S&P 500 finished virtually flat and edged down by less than 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 73 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.5%. All three indexes were coming off an all-time high. Stocks had been on track for modest gains in the afternoon after the Fed cut its main interest rate for the second time this year in hopes of helping the slowing job market. But the market snapped lower after Chair Jerome Powell later warned that it ''is not a foregone conclusion'' that the Fed will cut again in December at its next meeting, ''far from it.'' In the meantime, the deluge continued of big U.S. companies reporting how much profit they made during the summer, and the frenzy in artificial-intelligence technology is driving growth. The pressure is on companies to deliver gains because that's one way they can quiet criticism that their stock prices have shot too high. President Donald Trump said he has made deals with China after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, the final day of a trip to Asia that was an opportunity for the leaders of the world's two largest economies to stabilize relations after months of turmoil over trade issues.
