Asian markets ended mostly higher on Wednesday as optimism about the first corona virus vaccine rollouts in the United Kingdom and fresh hopes for an additional stimulus deal in the United States outweighed concerns about surging corona virus cases and new lockdowns. US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson’s corona vaccine is currently undergoing final-stage clinical trials involving 60,000 participants at more than 200 locations in the US and other countries. Results are expected in late January. Japanese shares ended higher after data showed Japan's core machinery orders rebounded sharply in October from the previous month's drop. However, Chinese shares ended lower on growing concerns over Sino-US relations, while consumer prices declined for the first time in over a decade on falling food prices.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,371.96 | -38.22 | -1.12 |
Hang Seng | 26,502.84 | 198.28 | 0.75 |
Jakarta Composite | - | - | - |
KLSE Composite | 1,646.53 | 14.83 | 0.91 |
Nikkei 225 | 26,817.94 | 350.86 | 1.33 |
Straits Times | 2,843.07 | 17.44 | 0.62 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,755.47 | 54.54 | 2.02 |
Taiwan Weighted | 14,390.14 | 29.74 | 0.21 |
