GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia trades mixed amid Covid-19 worries

Major stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region continued trading in the mixed territory on Thursday as investors have abandoned tech stocks in favor of cyclicals that would benefit from an economic recovery.

That came after the announcement by Pfizer and BioNTech about their coronavirus vaccine being more than 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19.

In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index traded 0.21 percent lower, while the Shenzhen Composite inclined by 0.21 percent. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng decreased by 0.51 percent and Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced by 0.68 percent. In South Korea, the Kospi Composite went down by 0.41 percent and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed falling by 0.49 percent. The dollar traded 0.20 percent lower compared to the yen and sold for 105.1200.