On Monday morning (25 Mar, 9:38 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), major indices in Asia Pacific traded mixed as investors prepared for inflation reports from the region, including Singapore and Malaysia’s reports on Monday, Australia’s on Wednesday, and Japan’s on Friday.
Japan’s NIKKEI decreased by 0.76% to 40,577.87. South Korea’s KOSPI slid by 0.15% to 2,744.51, while Australia’s ASX 200 rose by 0.61% to 7,818.2.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC edged up by 0.02% to 3,048.51. Hong Kong’s HSI grew by 0.34% to 16,555.98, while Shenzhen’s SZI dropped by 0.28% to 9,539.13.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets were mixed on Friday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) declined by 0.77% to 39,475.9. S&P 500 contracted by 0.14% to 5,234.18, while NASDAQ gained 0.16% to 16,428.82. VIX rose by 1.08% to 13.06.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Friday as traders kept their eyes on the potential for a ceasefire in Gaza, which will allow tankers to surpass the Red Sea. Brent lost 35 cents or 0.40% to $85.43 per barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 44 cents or 0.54% to $80.63 a barrel.
This morning, Brent increased 47 cents or 0.55% to $85.9 a barrel, and WTI climbed 51 cents or 0.63% to $81.14 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures edged up by 0.78% to $2,176.8 per Troy ounce.
