Asia stocks advance ahead of Bank of England policy decision

A man speaks on the mobile phone,in front of the electronic board showing the Nikkei stock index, in Tokyo, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. Asian stock markets were higher Thursday ahead of the Bank of England’s upcoming announcement of its monetary policy decision. AP

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stock markets were higher Thursday ahead of the Bank of England’s upcoming announcement of its monetary policy decision.

KEEPING SCORE: After trading lower in the morning session, Japan’s Nikkei 225 finished 1.1 percent higher at 16,254.89. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.3 percent to 2,000.03 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 0.6 percent to 21,872.54. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.1 percent to 2,982.43. Stocks in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian markets were higher.

UK WATCH: Bank of England is widely expected to unveil stimulus measures including a rate cut when it announces its monetary policy decision later Thursday after Asian markets close. Some analysts also expect the bank will announce the creation of billions in new money as early indicators since the U.K. referendum to leave the European Union suggest that the economy is contracting at its sharpest rate since 2009. Analysts expected increased volatility in the foreign exchange market ahead of the decision.

ANALYST’S TAKE: “The question is, not so much, if the BoE will ease policy, but rather how the BoE will choose to deliver policy easing,” Mizuho Bank wrote in a daily commentary. If the bank’s decision falls short of market expectations, “there is a risk of markets being disappointed.”

WALL STREET: U.S. stocks edged higher on Wednesday as the big gains in the price of oil boosted energy companies. The Dow Jones industrial average broke a seven-day losing streak and added 0.2 percent to 18,355. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 0.3 percent to 2,163.79. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.4 percent to 5,159.74.

OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude stayed flat at $40.83 per barrel in New York. The contract jumped $1.32, or 3.3 percent, to close at $40.83 on Wednesday after the U.S. government said stockpiles of gasoline shrank by more than 3 million barrels last week. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, dropped 21 cents to $42.89 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar strengthened to 101.36 yen from 101.28 yen while the euro fell to $1.1134 from $1.1148.