Japan shares hampered by trade worries, defensives gain

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.5 percent, after eking out a late gain in the previous session. Australian shares were up 0.8 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped 1.5 percent, flirting with seven-year highs, on expectations of more money inflows from the mainland following Beijing's fresh moves to expedite cross-border investment. Mainland bourses also rose, with the CSI300 Index adding 0.9 percent and the Shanghai Composite Index rising 1.1 percent, both to fresh seven-year highs Japan's Nikkei stock index was nearly flat, taking a breather after a run of seven straight gains and closing at a fresh 15-year high on Monday. Reuters file pic shows a pedestrian reflected in an electronic board showing the various stock prices outside a brokerage in Tokyo.

TOKYO: Japan's Nikkei eked out small gains on Thursday but the market was hampered by concerns about the U.S. trade war with Mexico and China, prompting investors to buy domestic-demand oriented shares.

The Nikkei share average rose 0.27% to 20,832.46 though the index was propped up disproportionately by rises in its top two heavyweights, Softbank Group and Fast Retailing, which rose 3.4% and 2.8% respectively.