Asian markets ended mostly higher on Monday as oil prices climbed to their highest in more than a month due to optimism about a gradual reopening of businesses around the world. Market sentiment were improved further by comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell who said the economy stateside may need a corona virus vaccine to fully recover and a jump in US stock index futures. Chinese shares ended higher after data showed home prices rose in April outweighed renewed Sino-US trade war tensions and the threat of a second wave of corona virus infections. Japanese shares ended up on signs of a slowdown in corona virus infections in the country that raised optimism that the government would soon ease restrictions. Investors, meanwhile, shrugged off data showing that the Japanese economy slipped into a recession in the first quarter.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,875.42 | 6.96 | 0.24 |
Hang Seng | 23,934.77 | 137.30 | 0.58 |
Jakarta Composite | 4,511.06 | 3.45 | 0.08 |
KLSE Composite | 1,410.16 | 6.72 | 0.48 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,133.73 | 96.26 | 0.48 |
Straits Times | 2,539.28 | 15.73 | 0.62 |
KOSPI Composite | 1,937.11 | 9.83 | 0.51 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,740.55 | -74.37 | -0.69 |
