Asian markets trade mostly lower in early deals on Friday

18 Dec 2020 Evaluate
Most of the Asian equity benchmarks are trading lower on Friday, weighed down with worries over surging covid cases in parts of Asia and around the world. Investor sentiments got dulled with the concerns about post-Brexit trade talks as a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johns pointed that it is less likely to reach an agreement until the European Union's position changed substantially. Oil shares are in lower note despite sharp rise in crude oil rates overnight. Japan’s Nikkei is in downward trend with the profit booking and as investors turned cautious ahead of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision due later today. The BoJ is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rate unchanged at -0.1%. Among the Asian markets, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, are in negative territory. Bucking the trend, South Korea, Indonesia and China are in positive trend.

Nikkei 225 dipped by 37.31 points 0.14% to 26,769.36, Straits Times down by 3.84 points or 0.13% to 2,854.18, Hang Seng decreased by 188.73 points or 0.71% to 26,489.65, Taiwan Weighted lower 2.40 points or 0.02% to 14,256.53 and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI curtailed by 22.99 points or 1.37% to 1,651.36.

On the flip side, KOSPI Index up 4.95 points 0.18% to 2,775.38, Jakarta Composite enlarged 5.30 points 0.09% to 6,118.68, and Shanghai Composite lifted by 4.44 points or 0.13% to 3,409.31. 

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