On Tuesday morning (17 December, 9:42 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific traded mixed following varied movements on Wall Street, with investors focusing on the upcoming decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve on December 18, while the CME Fedwatch tool predicted a 98.2% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut.
Japan’s NIKKEI added by 0.2% to 39,536.01. Australia’s ASX 200 rose by 0.84% to 8,319.2, while South Korea’s KOSPI decreased by 0.69% to 2,471.77.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC dipped by 0.03% to 3,385.34. Hong Kong’s HSI contracted by 0.26% to 19,743.62, while Shenzhen’s SZI surged by 0.57% to 10,634.23.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets were mixed on Monday as NASDAQ jumped by 1.24% to 20,173.89, S&P 500 grew by 0.38% to 6,074.08, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) slid by 0.25% to 43,717.48. VIX expanded by 6.37% to 14.69.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Monday, influenced by subdued consumer spending in China and a temporary halt in investor buying ahead of the pending interest rate decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Brent futures declined 58 cents or 0.8% to $73.91 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 58 cents or 0.8% to $70.71 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures edged down 3 cents or 0.04% to $73.88 a barrel, and the WTI lost 9 cents or 0.13% to $70.62 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures increased 0.13% to $2,673.4 per Troy ounce.
