Investing.com - Asian stock markets were mixed on Thursday, following the Federal Reserve’s decision to taper its monthly bond-buying program by $10 billion for the fifth consecutive meeting.
During late Asian trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.2%, China’s Shanghai Composite tumbled 1.77%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed 1.59% higher, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 ended up 1.62%.
Asia was given a positive lead from the U.S., where the S&P 500 closed at an all-time high after the Fed decided to reduce its monthly bond buying program by $10 billion to a total of $35 billion a month, citing strength in the U.S. economy.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei rallied to a three-month high, while shares in Australia bounced off the previous session’s two-month low.
Meanwhile, shares in mainland China and Hong Kong ended lower amid ongoing concerns over the health of China’s economy.
Looking ahead, European stock market futures pointed to a higher open. The Euro Stoxx 50 futures pointed to a gain of 1%, France’s CAC 40 added 0.8%, London’s FTSE 100 indicated a gain of 0.6%, while Germany's DAX inched up 0.9%.
Across the Atlantic, U.S. equity markets pointed to a flat open. The Dow futures pointed to a loss of 0.01%, the S&P 500 indicated a gain of 0.1%, while the Nasdaq 100 pointed to a rise of 0.1%.
The U.S. is to publish the weekly report on initial jobless claims as well as a report on manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region later in the day.