S-E Asia stocks sluggish before BOJ meet
S'pore stocks end 0.8 per cent lower after two of city-state's top banks voice concerns about loans to the oil and gas sector
SOUTH-EAST Asian stocks were largely sluggish on Thursday with investors watching from the sidelines as they awaited monetary easing steps by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to support the government's larger-than-expected stimulus package.
Japan's economy minister called on the central bank to work with the government to boost growth after the Japanese prime minister announced a 28 trillion yen (S$360.9 billion) stimulus package on Wednesday.
"Markets are watching out for the BOJ's reaction in relation to the announcement as there is no pre-commitment to anything specific yet," said Vishnu Varathan, senior economist at Singapore-based Mizuho Corporate Bank.
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