Stock market today: Asian shares meander after S&P 500 sets another record

Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after U.S. stocks broke out of a three-day lull to close at a record.

Oil prices advanced, while U.S. futures edged lower.

The dollar remained strong against the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, a trend that has unsettled regulators in both Tokyo and Beijing.

The dollar rose to 151.39 yen from 151.30 yen. The euro slipped to $1.0803 from $1.0828.

On Wednesday, the yen dipped to its lowest level since 1990, and Japanese officials reiterated their desire for stability in exchange rates.

“As the yen continues to show vulnerability, market participants will be vigilant for any hints of possible intervention in the currency market by Japanese policymakers,” Anderson Alves of ActivTrades said in a commentary.

The dollar bought 7.2286 yuan. It also has weakened against the dollar in recent weeks.

“We continue to think that policymakers in China and Japan will do enough to keep their currencies from weakening much further, but the risk of a break lower in one, or both, is increasing,” Jonas Goltermann of Capital Economics said in a report.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 1.5% to 40,168.07. The Kospi in Seoul also fell, shedding 0.3% to 2,745.82.

Chinese markets recouped losses from the day before. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 1.1% to 16,571.35, while the Shanghai Composite advanced 0.6% to 3,010.66.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1% to 7,896.90. India's Sensex added 1.2% and Taiwan's Taiex slipped 0.3%.

In Bangkok, the SET gave up 0.1%.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.9% to a record 5,248.49 in its first gain since setting its last all-time high on March 21.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1.2% to 39,760.08, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.5% to 16,399.52. Both