SINGAPORE — Shares in Japan were set to trade lower at the Tuesday open following investor jitters overnight on Wall Street over a new coronavirus strain in the U.K.
Futures pointed to a lower open for Japanese stocks. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 26,525 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 26,530. That compared against the Nikkei 225’s last close at 26,714.42.
Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell about 0.5% in early trading.
Preliminary Australian retail sales figures for November are set to be out at around 8:30 a.m. HK/SIN. Ahead of that data release, the Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7575, after dropping below $0.75 yesterday.
Developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic will likely continue to weigh on investor sentiment, following the discovery of a new Covid strain in the U.K. that has prompted tighter lockdowns and travel restrictions across Europe.
Currencies
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 90.092 after a jump to levels above 90.8 earlier.
The Japanese yen traded at 103.30 per dollar, after strengthening from levels above 103.6 against the greenback yesterday.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap:
- Australia: Preliminary retail sales data for November at 8:30 a.m. HK/SIN
Source: CNBC