Asian stocks have bounced back across the board with the return of Japanese markets and a more upbeat Wall Street overnight helping improve risk sentiment. The USD remains super strong against the major currency pairs although Euro is trying to push higher above parity while the Australian dollar is still stuck around the 67 cent level again. Meanwhile oil prices are also slipping with Brent crude falling back to just above the $91USD per barrel level while gold has maintained its quite depressed position, recovering ever so slightly from its Friday night slump as it stays below recent weekly support at the $1700USD per ounce level, currently at $1674:
Mainland Chinese share markets are trying to stabilise with the Shanghai Composite up more than 0.3% to 3123 points while the Hang Seng Index is finally having a good day, up more than 1% at 18670 points. Japanese stock markets reopened after yet another holiday with the Nikkei 225 closing 0.4% higher at 27688 points while the USDJPY pair is trending sideways, hovering just above the 143 handle:
Australian stocks were the best in the region with the ASX200 advancing some 1.3% higher to 6806 points. The Australian dollar however absorbed the latest RBA minutes by retracing back to the 67 handle and almost back at its recent weekly lows:
