SINGAPORE — Stocks in Asia-Pacific were mixed in Monday trade as investors continue to monitor the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
South Korea’s Kospi led gains among the region’s major markets as it advanced 1.27%. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 nudged 0.4% higher while the Topix index gained 0.15%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained about 1%. Mainland Chinese stocks, on the other hand, slipped: The Shanghai composite was fractionally lower while the Shenzhen component dipped 0.293%.
Amid the pandemic, China surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest recipient of foreign direct investment, according to a report released Sunday from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
China brought in $163 billion in inflows last year, compared to $134 billion attracted by the U.S., according to the report.
Shares in Australia edged higher, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 0.4%.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares excluding Japan traded 0.38% higher.
Developments around Covid-19 are likely to be watched by investors, as the world races to adapt against the mutating coronavirus which has produced a number of potentially more infectious variants.
In Hong Kong, the government on early Monday lifted a lockdown in an area of the Kowloon district after around 7,000 people were tested for coronavirus, according to Reuters.
Globally, more than 99 million people have been infected by Covid-19 and at least 2,127,206 lives have been taken, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Currencies and oil
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 90.24 after seeing a recent decline from levels above 90.6.
The Japanese yen traded at 103.86 per dollar following levels below 103.5 against the greenback seen last week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.771, off levels above $0.776 seen last week.
Oil prices were lower in the morning of Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 0.23% to $55.28 per barrel. U.S. crude futures dipped 0.1% to $52.22 per barrel.
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Source: CNBC