On Wednesday morning (31 July, 9:39 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most indices in Asia Pacific increased ahead of BOJ’s interest rate decision. Meanwhile, investors also digested China’s business activity data.
China’s official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) decreased to 49.4 in July, compared to June’s 49.5. The figure exceeded expectations of 49.3 polled by Reuters.
South Korea’s KOSPI climbed by 0.18% to 2,743.18. Australia’s ASX 200 increased by 1.24% to 8,051.9, while Japan’s NIKKEI dropped by 0.66% to 38,272.13.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC rose by 0.85% to 2,903.83. Hong Kong’s HSI grew by 1.38% to 17,237.97, and Shenzhen’s SZI jumped by 1.63% to 8,606.31.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets were mixed on Tuesday as NASDAQ slumped by 1.28% to 17,147.42. S&P 500 dipped by 0.5% to 5,436.44, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) edged up by 0.5% to 40,743.33. VIX soared by 6.57% to 17.69.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Tuesday as investors expressed concerns about a potential weakening of demand from China, alongside expectations that OPEC+ would proceed with their plans to boost supplies. Brent futures declined $1.15 or 1.4% to settle at $78.63 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contracted $1.08 or 1.4% to settle at $74.73 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures increased 67 cents or 0.85% to $79.3 a barrel, and the WTI grew 90 cents or 1.2% to $75.63 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures slid by 0.05% to $2,403.7 per Troy ounce.
