Asian shares subdued across the board after Brussels attacks but stay close to levels seen in recent global rally
Asian stock markets were muted on Wednesday, seeing slight drops across the board, as the market absorbed the impact of Isis terrorist attacks in Brussels.
China's Shanghai Composite was down 0.3 per cent, while the Shenzen Composite fell by 0.2 per cent. Hong Kong Hang Seng was down 0.5 per cent by the end of the session.
Japan's Nikkei index slid by 0.3 per cent and the broader Topix was down by a quarter of a percentage point. The yen remained firm and gained slightly against the dollar, after it buoyed Japanese stocks on Tuesday following a public holiday closure on Monday.
Despite stock market drops, shares still held close to quarterly highs hit earlier this week, following a global share rally for five consecutive weeks that has seen the MSCI World Index up almost 11 per cent in that timeframe.
Across the Atlantic, shares on Wall Street were mixed on Tuesday. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.3 per cent and the S&P 500 lost 0.1 per cent.