Asian markets ended mostly higher on Monday amid renewed optimism surrounding corona virus vaccines after Biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford on Saturday resumed its phase-3 vaccine trials in the UK after the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority’s approval. The trial was suspended last week over safety concerns. Meanwhile, investors are looking ahead to the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision scheduled for Wednesday for monetary policy outlook cues in the world’s largest economy. Japanese shares closed higher after reports that Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was elected new president of the Liberal Democratic Party, succeeding outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. As Suga, a long-time loyal aide to Abe, has vowed to continue his policies, few market players expect radical changes. Further, Chinese shares finished higher with Shanghai’s STAR Market leading gains after securities regulator approved the first batch of ETFs, which are expected to draw fresh funds towards the market.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 3,278.81 | 18.46 | 0.57 |
| Hang Seng | 24,640.28 | 136.97 | 0.56 |
| Jakarta Composite | 5,161.83 | 145.12 | 2.89 |
| KLSE Composite | 1511.36 | 6.51 | 0.43 |
| Nikkei 225 | 23,559.30 | 152.81 | 0.65 |
| Straits Times | 2,482.55 | -7.54 | -0.30 |
| KOSPI Composite | 2,427.91 | 31.22 | 1.30 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 12,787.82 | 111.87 | 0.88 |
