Asian equity markets closed mostly lower on Monday after technology stocks led a slide in US stocks on Friday. The dollar held steady against its peers while oil traded mixed after the release of US GDP data and amid renewed concerns around the US-China trade war. Meanwhile, investors shifted their focus to key central bank meetings this week. The Bank of Japan (BoJ) began a two-day policy meeting today, with expecting the central bank to discuss reducing investments in ETFs tracking the Nikkei 225 index. The Federal Open Market Committee is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged when it meets on Tuesday and Wednesday. Chinese stocks ended lower, dragged down by healthcare stocks after Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology became the latest pharmaceutical company to be embroiled in a vaccine scandal. Further, Japanese shares closed down as investors awaited cues from the BoJ meeting and the next batch of corporate earnings.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,870.06 | -3.53 | -0.12 |
Hang Seng | 28,733.13 | -71.15 | -0.25 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,027.94 | 38.80 | 0.64 |
KLSE Composite | 1,770.26 | 1.12 | 0.06 |
Nikkei 225 | 22,544.84 | -167.91 | -0.74 |
Straits Times | 3,307.15 | -17.83 | -0.54 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,293.51 | -1.48 | -0.06 |
Taiwan Weighted | 11,033.54 | -42.24 | -0.38 |
