Thursday has provided a relatively...........>

STOCKS: Thursday has provided a relatively limited, mixed session for the major

Asia-Pacific equity indices, in spite of the positive lead from Wall St.

- The Nikkei 225 moved back from its early high on the back of a modest uptick

in the JPY, with a mixed sector breakdown apparent. Consumer staples and

discretionary led the way higher, while real estate and health care applied the

most weight. Electronics makers were strong for a second consecutive session,

while automakers took a hit.

- The Hang Seng lost 0.7%, with all of the major sectors trading lower, as

telecoms provided the most weight, with the likes of China Mobile struggling.

China's CSI 300 also struggled for traction, shedding 0.4%.

- Australia's ASX 200 added ~0.1%, as modest declines in the heavyweight

financials and materials negating the bulk of the gains made elsewhere.

- U.S. index futures recorded modest losses.