Most Asian stock market indices ended on a positive note today. China’s Shanghai Composite index climbed over 1.6 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.4 per cent, Singapore’s Strait Times index added 1.2 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi rose over 0.6 per cent. In contrast, Taiwan’s Taiex dropped over 0.8 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped 0.7 per cent. On the economic front, China’s Consumer prices rose one per cent in June from a year ago, down from 1.2 per cent in May, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics today. Meanwhile, the producer price index jumped 4.1 per cent on an annual basis, up from 3.9 per cent in May.

Major European indices were trading on a mixed note today. France’s CAC 40 rose 0.3 per cent, Germany’s DAX added 0.1 per cent, while London’s FTSE 100 was trading 0.6 per cent down, when reports last came in.