Asia-Pacific markets were mostly down on Thursday, as investors continued to weigh the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.04% and the Topix gained 0.32%.

South Korea's Kospi fell 1.81%, while the small-cap Kosdaq dropped 2%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.21%.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.72%, and the CSI 300 dropped 0.31%.

U.S. futures were largely unchanged. S&P 500 futures traded around the flatline, as did Nasdaq 100 futures and futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell maintained a cautious stance on inflation and rates during his second day of testimony on Capitol Hill, suggesting a rate cut could be on the table if the effects prove temporary.

As he did during his testimony Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee, Powell would not put a timetable on when he thinks further rate cuts are possible, despite intense pressure from President Donald Trump for the Fed to cut rates.

Overnight at home, the three major indexes closed slightly higher. The S&P 500 ended the session near the flatline at 6,092.16 as investors watched to see if the benchmark index could return to its all-time high. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.31% to close at 19,973.55. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 106.59 points, or 0.25%, to 42,982.43. (alg)

Source: CNBC