Overseas Trading: Nikkei Rises On Stimulus Talk; ECB Decision in Focus

Stock markets in Asia closed mostly higher, thanks to renewed stimulus talk out of Japan. Specifically, Japanese news outlets reported the country is considering a roughly $188 billion stimulus package -- much higher than previously expected. At the same time, Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda dismissed the idea of "helicopter money" during an interview. By the close, Japan's Nikkei was up 0.8%. 

Elsewhere, China's Shanghai Composite managed a 0.4% win, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed 0.5% higher. South Korea's Kospi bucked the region's upbeat trend, however, falling 0.2%. 

Over in Europe, the focus is on the European Central Bank's (ECB) decision keep interest rates unchanged, and the subsequent press conference from bank president Mario Draghi. In the meantime, stocks are mostly lower, with travel names falling hard after German airliner Lufthansa lowered its full-year outlook due to the recent terrorist attacks and political uncertainty. London's FTSE 100 was last seen 0.5% lower, France's CAC 40 is down 0.4%, and Germany's DAX is off 0.1%. 

 

Sign up now for Schaeffer's Market Recap to get all the day's big stock movers, must-know technical  levels, and top economic stories straight to your inbox.