TOKYO (AP) – Asian shares were mixed Thursday ahead of a vote on whether Britain will remain in the European Union.
KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1.1 percent to 16,238.35. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng inched up 0.3 percent to 20,862.12. The Shanghai Composite edged down 0.5 percent to 2,891.80. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.3 percent to 1,986.71. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2 percent to 5,280.70.
BRITAIN VOTE: Investors are watching for the outcome of the referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union. An exit may send global shares tumbling, analysts say.
WALL STREET: The Dow Jones industrial average dipped 48.90 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,780.83. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 3.45 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,085.45. The Nasdaq composite edged down 10.44 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,833.32.
THE QUOTE: “Is Brexit really important? To Britain itself, sure,” a report from DBS Bank in Hong Kong said. “To the rest of the world, not so much. From a real economy perspective, Britain could fall off the map tomorrow, and Asia’s growth would replace it – and add three more – over the next 8.5 years. No one likes to see self-harm, but the fact is Britain hasn’t played a smaller role in the global economy for 400 years.”