Hong Kong Stocks Jump and Japanese Yen Remains in Focus

Hong Kong stocks led the way higher in Asian trading on Thursday as markets returned from a midweek holiday, while elsewhere in Asia the Japanese yen remained in focus with the currency at historically weak levels. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index jumped 2.5% after trading was on pause on Wednesday. “The top story is renewed speculation that Bank of Japan intervened in foreign exchange markets after the yen spiked by nearly 3% late on in the U.S. session,” said Jim Reid, a strategist at Deutsche Bank.