A currency trader walks by the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 15, 2023. Asian shares were mostly higher Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady while hinting more hikes may be coming. France's CAC 40 declined 0.4% in early trading to 7,298.37. Germany's DAX shed 0.2% to 16,277.36. Britain's FTSE 100 slipped nearly 0.1% to 7,596.28. U.S.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 erased morning gains to finish little changed, down less than 0.1% at 33,485.49. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2% to 7,175.30. South Korea's Kospi shed 0.4% to 2,608.54. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 2.2% to 19,828.92, while the Shanghai Composite edged up nearly 0.7% to 3,252.98.
“The Fed can later decide to continue the rate increase or keep high rates for a significantly long time. Such scenarios are quite possible and might obviously disappoint financial markets in one or a few months.”