Beijing's new economic plan for 2016 is expected to be a positive for struggling mining stocks
Most Asian markets closed higher today, though
Japan ended in the red once again. Traders in Tokyo continue to keep a wary eye on the Bank of Japan, which disappointed some investors with a recent expansion to its stimulus program -- and tech giant Toshiba suffered heavy losses after warning of a steep net loss for the fiscal year ending in March. By the close, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.2%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.2%, China's Shanghai Composite climbed 0.3%, and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6%.
Stocks in Europe are mixed at midday. Mining names are comfortably higher, boosted by a new economic plan out of Beijing that pledges to address industrial overcapacity; meanwhile, heavyweights Carrefour SA and Airbus Group have both turned lower in France following some M&A developments. At last check, the French CAC 40 is off 0.3%, Germany's DAX is down 0.02%, and London's FTSE 100 has added 0.6%.
