Shares in the Asia-Pacific region traded mostly above the flatline on Thursday as traders digested a somewhat optimistic consumer confidence report issued by Japan's Cabinet Office.
While the United States Federal Reserve's highlights report underlined the reliance of recovery on the vaccination process, Fed's Board of Governors member, Lael Brainard, asserted that the outlook for the world's largest economy has brightened considerably.
The DAX in Frankfurt rose by 0.41 percent, London's FTSE 100 was 0.10 percent up and the CAC 40 in Paris advanced 0.37 percent at the opening bell. The euro was 0.12 percent higher compared to the dollar at 8:59 am CET, trading for 1.18803. The British pound increased by 0.24 percent against the American currency, going for 1.37706 concurrently.
The Nikkei 225 slid 0.24 percent, with Hang Seng adding 0.87 percent a minute later. At the same time, the Kospi gained 0.13 percent. The S&P/ASX 200 was up by 0.90 percent.
In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite moved up by 0.15 percent, while the Shenzhen Composite advanced by 0.16 percent. The dollar traded 0.15 percent lower against the yen to sell for 109.6830.