© Reuters.
Investing.com – Asian Pacific shares kicked off Tuesday on a low note, following the trend set by European stocks, as US markets remained closed.
By 11:25 am AEDT (12:25 am GMT) the , , and indices all experienced declines of 0.8%, 0.4%, and 0.5% respectively. US equity and bond markets were closed in honour of Martin Luther King Day.
In the commodities market, recorded a 0.2% drop to US$78.13 a barrel, while saw a 0.4% increase to US$2,056.55.
In local bond markets, the yield on Australian government bonds fell to 3.78%, while the yield remained flat at 4.07%. US Treasury notes were unchanged, with the yield at 4.14% and the yield at 3.94%.
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Chinese shares saw a mixed close as investors processed the People’s Bank of China’s (PBOC) latest decision to maintain key policy rates, reflecting the country’s concerns about bank profitability, according to ANZ Research analysts. The experienced a slight rise of 0.15% to 2886.29, while the Shenzhen Composite Index concluded 0.3% lower at 1743.58. The ChiNext Price Index fell by 0.9%.
Hong Kong shares closed lower due to a drag from the tech sector. Baidu (NASDAQ:) plummeted 11.5% even after denying any connection or partnership with a Chinese academic institution following a news report linking the company’s Ernie to the military-affiliated university’s AI test. The Tech Index fell 1.9% to 3404.00.
Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.9% to close at 35901.79, its highest level since February 1990, driven by shipping and securities-related stocks. was at 145.27, compared with 145.12 around Friday’s Tokyo stock-market close. The 10-year JGB yield was down 3 bps at 0.555%.
Indian shares continued their upward trajectory for the fifth consecutive session, hitting record highs. The benchmark Sensex Index climbed 1.05% to 73327.94, surpassing the 73000 level for the first time. Tech stocks led the gains with Wipro adding 6.25% after its better-than-anticipated fiscal 3Q results.
European stocks also fell as the absence of US trading due to a public holiday stifled market momentum. The and fell 0.5%, while the FTSE 100 backtracked 0.4% and the retreated 0.7%. The closed Monday down 0.4% at 7594 points, primarily dragged down by financial stocks and retailers.
