Stock indices of the Asia-Pacific region (APR) changed in different directions on Wednesday.
The Japanese Nikkei 225 index rose by less than 0.1%, Chinese Shanghai Composite added 1.2%, the Australian S&P/ASX 200 fell less than 0.1%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped by 0.1%, and South Korean KOSPI lost 0.4%.
Investors’ focus is directed to the parliamentary elections in Great Britain, which will be held on June 8, the same day of the European Central Bank meeting.
In addition, on Thursday, the former FBI director James Comey will address the US Congress and answer questions about the possible intervention of President Donald Trump in an investigation into the former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The decrease in yields of US Treasuries amid an increase in demand for the assets of the "quiet harbor" led to a drop in quotations of shares of Japanese insurers on Wednesday. The value of MS & AD Insurance Group securities fell 1.7%.
The Chinese market grew after 10 Chinese companies listed on the stock exchange drew the attention of their employees to market signals about the growth in stock prices in the short term. Notifications were made in order to encourage employees to purchase shares, which would help to level their previous losses.
The Australian market stabilized amid positive statistical data. The GDP of Australia in the first quarter of 2017 increased by 0.3% compared to the previous three months and by 1.7% in annual terms, official data show.
Experts interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, on average, projected an increase in GDP by 0.3% in quarterly terms and by 1.6% in annual terms.
Thus, the Australian economy, where there has been no recession in the past 25 years, continues to grow, albeit at a slow pace, experts say.