Asian markets drift lower on poor Spanish bond auction

05 Apr 2012 Evaluate

Stocks in Asian pacific region exhibited a choppy trade in Thursday’s morning trade after a dismal Spanish bond auction re-ignited concerns about the ability of peripheral European nations to fund debt while, hopes faded for more help for the US economy from the Federal Reserve too dampened the sentiments. In an auction of medium-term debt on Wednesday, its first test of investor sentiment since last Friday's 27 billion euro deficit-reduction package, Spain sold only 2.6 billion euro. That was at the bottom end of the target it was looking to raise from the sales of bonds that mature in 2015, 2016 and 2020.

Moreover, materials and energy plays fell across the region on the back of weaker commodity and crude-oil prices.

Meanwhile, Japanese Nikkei dropped over a percentage point as Japanese exporters were lower after the yen rose on Wednesday against both the euro and the US dollar. However, market volume was thin ahead of the Good Friday holiday, and as some investors chose to remain on the sidelines ahead of Friday's US jobs report.

Hang Seng declined 226.68 points or 1.09% to 20,564.30, KLSE Composite contracted 6.01 points or 0.38% to 1,593.26, Nikkei 225 dropped 99.48 points or 1.01% to 9,720.51, Seoul Composite slipped 3.76 points or 0.19% to 2,014.85 and Taiwan Weighted was down by 119.36 points or 1.54% to 7,641.49. 

On the flip side, Shanghai Composite surged 31.10 points or 1.37% to 2,293.89, Jakarta Composite gained 15.69 points or 0.38% to 4,149.73 and Straits Times was up by 0.81 points or 0.03% to 2,985.85.

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