Asia-Pacific shares closed mainly in the green on Thursday (April 9). The Kospi went up 1.6% to 1,836 and the ASX 200 finished 3.5% higher at 5,387 while the Nikkei 225 finished nearly flat at 19,346. The Shanghai Composite closed 0.4% higher at 2,826 on Thursday, the highest close in nearly a month, on optimism the COVID-19 pandemic may be peaking.
Also, there are expectations that OPEC and its allies will agree to cut production at a virtual meeting later today. Meanwhile, investors welcomed news that the PBoC will step up monetary policy easing using a mix of liquidity tools to further support the economy hit by the outbreak.