06:35 AM EDT, 07/10/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were uneven on Thursday as traders weighed prospects for more macroeconomic stimulus from Beijing and a strengthening Japanese currency.

Hong Kong and Shanghai finished in the green, while Tokyo lagged. Other regional exchanges were similarly mixed.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 finished off 0.4% as a stronger yen undercut export issues.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 174.92 to 39,646.36, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 163 to 60.

Leading the upside was semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker Disco, up 4.2% after raising guidance, while Nikon declined 5.3%.

In economic news, Japan's producer price index (PPI) rose 2.9% on year in June, easing from a 3.3% on year gain in May, and down from a recent year-on-year peak of 4.3% in March, reported the Bank of Japan.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index closed up 0.6% on market expectations that Beijing will soon boost support for the nation's ailing property sector.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 136.05 to 24,028.37, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 51 to 33. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.3% on the day, but the Mainland Properties Index rose 4.1%.

Leading the upside was ZTO Express, gaining 7.4%, while Wharf Real Estate Investment declined 3.4%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.5% to 3,509.68.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 1.6%; the Taiwan TWSE rose 0.7%; the Australian ASX 200 advanced 0.6%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.4%, and trading floors in Bangkok were closed on holiday. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.4%.