Asian markets trade mostly lower in early deals on Monday

23 Mar 2021 Evaluate
Most of Asian equity benchmarks traded lower in early deals on Monday, as the market sentiments got dampened after United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese officials on Monday for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and as Beijing hit back immediately with broad punitive measures against the EU. Meanwhile, profit taking at prevailing levels also hurt some indices. Japan’s Nikkei is trading lower amid selloff triggered in the wake of yen appreciation to the upper 108 zone against greenback and BOJ's decision last week to end its purchases of exchange-traded funds linked to the benchmark Nikkei average. Meanwhile, fears of disruptions in the global supply of semiconductors also fuelled selloff. Among the Asian markets, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, and China and Malaysia are in negative territory. Bucking the trend, Singapore, Taiwan, are in higher note.

Nikkei 225 down by 137.05 points or 0.47% to 29,047.43, Hang Seng decreased 339.63 points or 1.18% to 28,545.71, Jakarta Composite lower by 11.71 points or 0.19% to 6,289.42, KOSPI Index narrowed by 26.64 points or 0.88% to 3,008.82, and Shanghai Composite dipped by 40.88 points or 1.19% to 3,402.56 and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI curtailed by 11.27 points 0.70% to 1,605.46.

On the flip side, Straits Times up by 7.84 points or 0.25% to 3,135.92, and Taiwan Weighted widened 11.62 points or 0.07% to 16,200.84. 

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