Asia-Pacific stocks saw a generally positive trend on Thursday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 rising 1.12% to 8,220.9, driven by news of a record $735 billion budget for fiscal 2024. Increased social security and debt expenses were highlighted. Bank of Japan’s Governor indicated a path toward sustainable 2% inflation by 2025. Share prices for Nissan and Honda surged after announcing merger talks, while Japan Airlines experienced a slight decline due to a cyberattack. South Korea’s markets faced declines amid political tensions. In China, the CSI 300 rose, buoyed by an upgraded GDP forecast from the World Bank.
