SINGAPORE — Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Tuesday as investors remained cautious over rising coronavirus cases, U.S. stimulus negotiations as well as Brexit talks between the U.K. and the European Union.
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.34% while the Topix index was down 0.16%. In South Korea's the Kospi declined 1.1%.
Australia's benchmark ASX 200 reversed earlier losses to trade up 0.2%. The energy subindex erased some of its loses but was still down 0.65%. It happened after oil prices slipped in the overnight session on Monday.
Oil stocks in Australia mostly declined: Shares of Santos fell 1.6%, Oil Search was down by 2.23% and Woodside Petroleum traded 0.22% lower. Woodside's CEO Peter Coleman is set to retire in 2021.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index fell 0.53% in early trade. The health-care arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com made its trading debut in Hong Kong and saw its share price surge compared to the company's issue price.
Chinese mainland shares also traded up: The Shanghai composite fell fractionally, the Shenzhen composite was up 0.32% and the Shenzhen component added 0.47%.
That follows a mixed overnight session on Wall Street and in Europe. U.S. futures fell on Monday evening after the market close.
"Markets had a mixed session overnight," Cherelle Murphy from ANZ Research wrote in a morning note. "Negotiations over a new pandemic package continue in the US, while high (Covid-19) numbers and disappointing labour market data cast a shadow." A deal is widely expected by mid-December, Murphy added.
"UK-EU trade talks appear to be on the brink of collapse, with news expected this morning," Murphy said.
The U.K. and the European Union are making last efforts to reach a post-Brexit trade deal this week. Both sides remain divided over three issues: fisheries, competition rules and governance of their potential deal. They have been stuck on these three areas since early summer.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to travel to Brussels this week in a final push to clinch a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. Johnson will meet European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in person after two phone calls between the leaders failed to bear fruit.
The British pound traded at $1.3361, down from an earlier level around $1.3377.
Currencies and oil
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of its peers, last traded at 90.882, climbing from its previous close at 90.792.
The dollar is "caught between the near term headwinds of a 'pull' of rising (Covid-19) cases and simmering US‑China tensions and the 'push' of vaccines improving the medium‑term economic outlook and expectations for more US fiscal stimulus," currency strategists at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia wrote in a morning note.
Elsewhere, the Japanese yen changed hands at 104.05 per dollar, weakening from an earlier level around 103.94, while the Australian dollar was near flat at $0.7420.
Oil prices declined Tuesday morning during Asian hours: U.S. crude was down 0.96% at $45.32 while the global benchmark Brent fell 0.96% to $48.32 a barrel.
"asia" - Google News
December 08, 2020 at 06:54AM
https://ift.tt/37Na4VU
Asia-Pacific markets mixed as investors remain cautious over post-Brexit trade deal - CNBC
"asia" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YpEquI
https://ift.tt/2WkdbyX
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Asia-Pacific markets mixed as investors remain cautious over post-Brexit trade deal - CNBC"
Post a Comment