On Monday morning (31 March, 9:18 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most indices in Asia Pacific exhibited a downward trend as investors braced for an upcoming wave of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. Concurrently, traders also analyze a series of economic indicators.
In China, the country’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index for March rose to 50.5, showing an increase from the previous month and aligning with predictions from a Reuters poll.
Japan’s factory production increased by 2.5% in February, rebounding from a decrease in the preceding month. The growth surpassed Reuters’ estimated 2.3% rise, with the surge attributed to the manufacturing of machinery and electronic components.
As for South Korea, retail sales saw a 1.5% increase on a seasonally adjusted basis in February, marking the highest level recorded since August 2024 and following a 0.7% decline in the prior month.
Industrial output for the nation surged by 7% year-on-year, exceeding the 2% projection from economists surveyed by Reuters. The figure follows a 4.7% decline in January.
Japan’s NIKKEI plummeted by 3.82% to 35,703.45. South Korea’s KOSPI decreased by 2.34% to 2,498.23, and Australia’s ASX 200 fell by 1.52% to 7,860.7.
As for stocks in China, Shenzhen’s SZI shrank by 0.12% to 10,594.28. Hong Kong’s HSI dipped by 0.27% to 23,364.03, while Shanghai’s SSEC rose by 0.18% to 3,357.33.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets edged down on Friday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) slumped by 1.69% to 41,583.9. NASDAQ contracted by 2.7% to 17,322.99, and S&P 500 lost 1.97% to 5,580.94. VIX soared by 15.84% to 21.65.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Friday amidst concerns that U.S. trade disputes might trigger a worldwide economic downturn. However, the prices recorded an upward trend for the third straight week following increased pressure from Washington on OPEC nations like Venezuela and Iran. Brent futures dropped 40 cents or 0.5% to $73.63 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined 56 cents or 0.8% to $69.36 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures slid 26 cents or 0.35% to $73.37 a barrel, and the WTI diminished 35 cents or 0.5% to $69.01 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures grew 0.49% to $3,129.6 per Troy ounce.
