05:40 AM EST, 01/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets edged higher on Thursday in holiday-thinned trading as the tech sector continued to rebound from early-week sell-offs.

Tokyo finished in the green, as did Mumbai and Sydney. Bangkok lost ground, while Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taiwan and Singapore exchanges were closed on holiday.

Asian investors also noted the US Federal Reserve's rate-cut pause on Wednesday, and the central bank's outlook that the US economy is still growing, unemployment is low, but inflation remains above the Fed's 2% annual target.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower but rose to the close, finishing up 0.3% as traders weighed earnings-season results, and again favored tech issues.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 99.19 to 39,513.97 as gaining issues outnumbered losers 141 to 81.

Leading the upside was internet-services provider CyberAgent, up 4.9% after reporting earnings, while the stock-market operator itself, the Japan Exchange, declined 3.2%.

In economic news, mainland Chinese shoppers submitted subsidy applications for about 10.8 million electronic devices over a four-day period starting Jan. 20, following the inclusion of mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches in the trade-in subsidy program, according to the nation's Ministry of Commerce, reported the state-run Xinhua news service.

Under the national program, shoppers receive subsidies for certain good purchases, including more energy-efficient appliances, automobiles, and electric scooters.

On the other regional exchanges, the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.6% and the Thai Set declined 0.6%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.4%