Visitors look at electronic boards displaying stock prices at the Tokyo Stock Exchange (file). Nikkei rose 0.16% or 25 points to 15,820.96 points yesterday.


AFP/Tokyo


Asian markets were largely higher yesterday, with Tokyo reversing early losses after the Bank of Japan said it was winning the war against deflation and delayed injecting fresh stimulus into Asia’s number two economy.
The yen saw a brief rally before easing again after Japan’s central bank decided to refrain from adding to its already-huge asset buying programme following a two-day policy meeting.
The dollar bought 104.37 yen, from 104.28 yen shortly before the BoJ announcement.
Wall Street provided a soft lead on its first trading day of the week Tuesday owing to an underwhelming slate of corporate earnings and despite an upward revision of the International Monetary Fund’s global growth outlook.
Tokyo closed 0.16% higher yesterday, rising 25 points to 15,820.96, while Sydney eased 0.22%, or 11.7 points, to close at 5,319.8 after the release of stronger than expected inflation data.  Seoul gained 0.33%, or 6.53 points, to end at 1,970.42.
Shanghai surged 2.16%, or 43.44 points, to close at 2,051.75 while Hong Kong added 0.21%, or 49.13 points, to 23,082.25.
In other markets, Jakarta closed up 0.56%, or 24.99 points, at 4,477.45; Carmaker Astra International rose 0.74% to 6,800 rupiah, while state miner Aneka Tambang fell 0.93% to 1,070 rupiah.
Bangkok fell 0.20%, or 2.61 points, to 1,290.49; Siam Cement gained 0.50% to 402baht, while Airports of Thailand dropped 1.84% to 160baht.
Singapore was flat, easing only 0.02 points to close at 3,133.74; real estate developer Capitaland gained 0.35% to Sg$2.90 while DBS Bank was down 1.27% to Sg$17.15.
Kuala Lumpur lost 1.24 points, or 0.07%, to close at 1,814.10; financial firm CIMB Group Holdings shed 1.4% to 7.01 ringgit, while UEM Sunrise eased 2.4% to 2.07. Palm oil producer Felda Global Ventures Holdings gained 2.3% to 4.47 ringgit.  Taipei rose 25.40 points, or 0.30% to 8,625.3; Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.94% higher at Tw$107.5 while leading chip design house MediaTek gained 2.84% to Tw$399.0
Wellington was up 0.58%, or 28.67 points, at 4,950.34; Telecom Corp rose 0.42% to NZ$2.39 while Fletcher Building gained 1.10% to NZ$9.16.
Manila rose 2.00%, or 120.62 points, to 6,139.86; Philippine Long Distance Telephone rose 1.23% to 2,796pesos and SM Investments added 1.28% to 712pesos, while Ayala Land was 3.0% up at 27.50 pesos.