Asia-Pacific markets were set to fall Thursday as investors awaited China’s one- and five-year loan prime rates.
The one-year loan prime rate serves as a benchmark for most corporate and household loans, while the five-year rate serves as a peg for property mortgages. The one-year LPR currently stands at 3.45%, while the five-year LPR is at 3.95%.
Earlier this week, the People’s Bank of China kept the 1-year medium-term lending facility rate steady at 2.5%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 futures showed a weaker open for the market, with the futures contract in Chicago at 38,370 and its counterpart in Osaka at 38,340 compared to the previous close of 38,570.26
Futures for Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 stood at 7,752, slightly lower than its last close of 7,769.7.
Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 18,391, lower than the HSI’s last close of 18,430.39.
Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were up 0.04% and 0.19%, respectively, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.17%. U.S. markets were closed on Wednesday for a holiday.
By CNBC