Share markets are steady across most of Asia, with most putting in scratch sessions or minor losses (except the ASX200) in line with a hesitant overnight risk complex – sans the crazy NASDAQ! This looks like changing tonight however, as futures are indicating big jumps ahead for Europe but not the US, so this may be shortlived. Gold jumped higher again this morning, as it wants to get back to its former historic and weekly highs above the $2000USD per ounce level, a little shy but looking stronger now:
In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite is putting in a scratch session to be unchanged just below 3400 points while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index is doing the same, up only a handful of points to be at 25181 points. Japanese stock markets are also limping along doing nothing, with the Nikkei 225 closing 0.01% – yes you read that right – lower at 23138 points, as the USDJPY pair falls back after a very short term bounce post the Abe resignation last Friday:
The ASX200 continues to be the odd one out, pushed significantly lower to closing 1.7% down at 5953 points as earnings season comes to a close just as Parliament winds down Jobkeeper. Meanwhile the Australian dollar has not yet peaked after its big surge on Friday night, wanting to push back above the 74 handle but finding lots of resistance overhead:
Eurostoxx futures are up 0.8% but are falling back already with the S&P500 four hourly chart still indicating a sideways trend here just above the 3500 point level as traders take another big deep breath before looking around for anyone else to sell to:
