Global stocks are mostly lower, as traders await possible stimulus out of Japan
Asian stocks finished the day mostly lower, with traders reacting to Wednesday's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision to
leave interest rates in the U.S. unchanged. Meanwhile, investors are awaiting the next policy decision out of the Bank of Japan (BoJ), due out tomorrow -- and
widely expected to bring a fresh round of stimulus measures. However, Japan's Nikkei settled down 1.1% for the session, as the yen gained strength against the dollar and fears lingered that the stimulus package won't live up to expectations.
Elsewhere in the region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng and South Korea's Kospi each shed 0.2%, with the latter pressured by a post-earnings drop by mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics. China's Shanghai Composite bucked the downbeat trend by a slim margin, adding 0.1% for the day.
Markets in Europe are lower at midday, with banking stocks and automakers -- including Credit Suisse and Renault SA -- taking heavy losses amid an earnings-heavy session. Disappointing earnings data from Shell is also weighing on oil-and-gas stocks in the region. As traders digest the Fed rate decision and gear up for tomorrow's BoJ announcement, London's FTSE 100 is off 0.2%, while the French CAC 40 and German DAX have given back 0.1% each.
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