06:42 AM EDT, 06/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were choppy Tuesday as traders weighed a central bank decision in Tokyo, and the unfolding hostilities in the Middle East.

Tokyo finished in the green, Shanghai was flat, and Hong Kong fell back. Other regional exchanges were also choppy.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened evenly and gained in trading, finishing up 0.6% on media reports of a possible Middle East truce, and as a softer yen boosted export issues.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 225.41 to 38,536.74, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 136 to 83.

Leading the upside was semiconductor-manufacturing equipment maker Disco, gaining 6.3%, while Hino Motors dropped 3.7%.

In economic news, citing a moderate economic recovery and "waning" inflation, the Bank of Japan decided to keep its key policy interest rate steady, and outlined long-term plans to reduce, but not end, its Japanese government bond-buying program, a process known as quantitative easing.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened evenly but drifted lower, finishing off 0.3% as traders weighed possibilities for higher fuel prices amid reduced global crude oil shipments.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 80.69 to 23,980.30, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 53 to 27. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.2% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 0.8%.

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery fell 7.3%, while gaming-house Sands China rose up 5.2%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite finished flat at 3,387.40.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 0.1%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.7%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.1%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.6%, and the Thai Set eased 0.1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.4%.