All the Asian equity indices ended the session in the red with major benchmarks declining by 1 to 4 per cent on Monday after strong US jobs data increased expectations that the US Federal Reserve would ease its stimulus measures within a few months, maybe as early as September. Back on regional turf, Seoul Composite declined by about a percent as technology heavyweight and the largest component on the main index, Samsung Electronics Co, tumbled to a fresh 10-month closing low, weighed down by last week's disappointing earnings estimates. Meanwhile, Japanese Nikkei declined by about one and a half percent, giving up initial gains tracking fall in other Asian shares, and partially impacted by a ratings Standard & Poor’s downgrade of Softbank to junk after its multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Sprint Nextel that too dampened the sentiments.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 1958.27 | -48.93 | -2.44 |
Hang Seng | 20582.19 | -272.48 | -1.31 |
Jakarta Composite | 4433.62 | -169.18 | -3.68 |
KLSE Composite | 1762.87 | -9.40 | -0.53 |
Nikkei 225 | 14109.34 | -200.63 | -1.40 |
Straits Times | 3155.47 | -14.26 | -0.45 |
KOSPI Composite | 1816.85 | -16.46 | -0.90 |
Taiwan Weighted | 7886.34 | -115.48 | -1.44 |