Asian shares flat as UK vote, ECB meeting loom

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks benchmarks were fairly steady Thursday as investors parsed economic data and awaited market-moving events in Europe, including Britain's general election and a European Central Bank meeting.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index was practically unchanged at 19,986.98 and South Korea's Kospi lost 0.3 percent to 2,353.23.

Japan released revised first-quarter data that showed Asia's second-largest economy expanded an annualized 1 percent, a significant drop from last month's initial 2.2 percent estimate, according to Kyodo News.

The release of prepared testimony by fired FBI Director James Comey ahead of his appearance before the Senate has reduced some risk to markets, she said.

[...] as one half of the equation in raising global growth outlook, European markets' performance post the ECB meeting and UK election could still have an impact on emerging Asian markets.