On Wednesday morning (24 July, 9:18 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific decreased as investors assessed business activity data for July from Australia and Japan, along with technology earnings reports from the United States.
Japan’s composite purchasing managers’ index in July stood at 52.6, an increase from June’s record of 49.7. The report described this rise as a clear indication of robust expansion within private sector enterprises in Japan.
Japan’s NIKKEI edged down by 0.24% to 39,500.09. South Korea’s KOSPI dipped by 0.11% to 2,771.21, and Australia’s ASX 200 slid by 0.06% to 7,966.7.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC dropped by 0.36% to 2,904.84. Hong Kong’s HSI declined by 0.52% to 17,379.39, and Shenzhen’s SZI contracted by 0.49% to 8,564.29.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets edged down on Tuesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) decreased by 0.14% to 40,358.09. NASDAQ fell by 0.06% to 17,997.35, and S&P 500 lost 0.16% to 5,555.74. VIX slumped by 1.27% to 14.72.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Tuesday following increasing speculation about a potential truce in Gaza and mounting apprehensions regarding demand in China. Brent futures dropped $1.39 or 1.7% to settle at $81.01 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined $1.44 or 1.8% to settle at $76.96 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures surged 33 cents or 0.41% to $81.34 a barrel, and the WTI rose 29 cents or 0.38% to $77.25 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures climbed by 0.12% to $2,410.1 per Troy ounce.
