Yet another day of mixed results here in Asia with the return of Japanese traders not increasing any risk appetites. Despite the softer tones across the region, US stock futures are climbing, while European equities are set to open slightly higher, oil is already starting to sell off as gold remains firm just below the $1700USD per ounce level.
In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite took back its previous gains to finish 0.3% lower at 2871 points, while the Hang Seng Index was unable to make any headway, slipping 0.5% to 24025 points, but still keeping off the recent daily lows at 23400 points:
Japanese share markets reopened and were the only positive note in the region with the Nikkei 225 closing 0.3% higher at 19674 points, while the return of currency traders saw a mild selloff in Yen, pushing the USDJPY pair back over the 106 handle in a very weak swing move that doesn’t have much momentum:
The ASX200 continued its own pullback, closing 0.4% lower at 5364 points, not helped by a slightly higher Aussie dollar on the back of the big trade surplus figures, rising solidly above the 64 handle again but still not breaching its early week high:
Eurostoxx and S&P futures are more vibrant with momentum behind the latter market on the four hourly charts, ready to advance past last week’s support level above 2850 points, and ready to tackle 3000 once again, but momentum needs to cross into positive territory and above the 2880 area to clear out the bears:
