The stock exchange in Japan ended with a small profit on Thursday. The promise of the Federal Reserve (Fed) to continue to support the US economy reassured investors.
The Fed also kept interest rates and the ongoing bond-buying program untouched.
The hopes for a Brexit deal in Europe and a possible agreement on an additional corona support package in the United States also provided support for trade. However, the sustained rise in corona infections in Japan kept profits limited.
The leading Nikkei in Tokyo ended the day with a plus of 0.2 percent at 26,806.67 points. Life insurer Japan Post Insurance made a price jump of 9.8 percent. According to media reports, the company wants to buy back $ 2.9 billion in its own shares from its parent company Japan Post Holdings, which rose 3.4 percent. Pharmaceutical Fujifilm Holdings fell 3.1 percent.
Kyodo News agency reported that the Japanese government has concluded that the effectiveness of the flu drug Avigan as a treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, cannot be demonstrated.
The other major stock market indicators in the Asian region also showed predominant progress. The main index in Shanghai was 1 percent higher in the meantime, and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong climbed 0.3 percent.
The All Ordinaries in Sydney gained 1.2 percent. Australian unemployment fell to 6.8 percent in November from 7 percent in October. The Kospi in Seoul lagged behind with a small minus of 0.1 percent.
