A HDR evening shot taken at sunset of the Tokyo skyline.
Fgm | E+ | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mixed Thursday, as investors continued to weigh the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open higher, with the futures contract in Chicago at 39,055 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 38,950, against the index’s last close of 38,942.07.
However, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 is slated to open slightly lower, with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,500, compared to its last close of 8,559.2.
Similarly, futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 24,326, pointing to a lower open compared to the HSI’s last close of 24,474.67.
U.S. futures were relatively unchanged. S&P 500 futures traded around the flatline, as did Nasdaq 100 futures and futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell maintained a cautious stance on inflation and tariffs during his second day of Capitol Hill testimony, indicating rate cuts could be considered if the effects prove temporary.
As he did during his testimony Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee, Powell would not put a timetable on when he thinks further interest rate cuts will be possible, despite the heavy pressure President Donald Trump has exerted to get the Fed to cut rates.
Overnight stateside, the three major averages closed slightly higher. The S&P 500 ended the session near the flatline at 6,092.16 as investors watched to see if the benchmark index could return to its all-time high. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.31% to close at 19,973.55. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 106.59 points, or 0.25%, settling at 42,982.43.
— CNBC’s Brian Evans, Alex Harring and Jeff Cox contributed to this report.