On Monday morning (8 July, 9:18 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most indices in Asia Pacific decreased as investors awaited significant economic data from the U.S. and China later in the week. Meanwhile, election outcomes in France indicating a hung parliament were also under scrutiny.
South Korea’s KOSPI slid by 0.13% to 2,858.4. Australia’s ASX 200 edged down by 0.45% to 7,787.3, while Japan’s NIKKEI climbed by 0.06% to 40,936.19.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC contracted by 0.61% to 2,931.99. Shenzhen’s SZI declined by 0.8% to 8,626.25, and Hong Kong’s HSI slumped by 1.36% to 17,557.57.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets edged up on Friday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased by 0.17% to 39,375.87. NASDAQ gained 0.9% to 18,352.76, and S&P 500 grew by 0.54% to 5,567.19. VIX jumped by 1.79% to 12.48.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Friday, driven by increasing hopes for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which overshadowed robust summer fuel needs and the likelihood of supply interruptions due to hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Brent futures declined 89 cents or 1.02% to $86.54 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 72 cents or 0.9% to $83.16 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures dipped 24 cents or 0.28% to $86.3 a barrel, and the WTI lost 40 cents or 0.48% to $82.76 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures slid by 0.15% to $2,394 per Troy ounce.
