Asian Markets mixed as investors weight latest economic data
The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones slightly rose on Wednesday, but technology sector struggled again as the 10-year treasury yield traded volatilely. The Dow rose by 0.26% points to 34,390.72, and the S&P 500 added 0.16%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was the laggard, falling 0.24% to finish at 14,512.44. The moves came after the Nasdaq posted its worst day since March on Tuesday. The 10-year Treasury yield eased on Wednesday morning to trade below 1.5% but bounced back toward 1.54% in afternoon trading, rising as high as 1.56%.
Asian stock markets traded on a mixed note on Thursday’s open, with Shanghai composite up 0.37%. On the economic front, China’s official manufacturing PMI for September came in at 49.6, coming in above expectations. Elsewhere in Japan, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.2%. In the pollical front, Japan is set for a new Prime Minister after Fumio Kishida won the governing party leadership election on Wednesday.
European stocks rose on Wednesday after one of the worst markets routs this year as AstraZeneca lifted healthcare stocks on a deal to buy a rare disease drugmaker, while chip equipment producer ASM gained on an upbeat earnings forecast. British drugmaker AstraZeneca jumped 4.2% after saying it will take full control of Caelum Biosciences in a deal worth up to $500 million. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.6%, with investors gradually looking past a 2.2% fall in the previous session. The European tech sector slipped 0.7% extending its declines from Tuesday. ASML Holding NV, one of the key suppliers to computer chip makers, reversed earlier gains to trade 2.6% lower even after raising financial targets. Germany stocks were mixed after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Telecoms, Insurance and Transportation & Logistics sectors led shares higher while losses in the Utilities, Retail and Technology sectors led shares lower. At the close in Frankfurt, the DAX rose 0.77%, while the MDAX index climbed 0.05%, and the TecDAX index declined 0.14%
The Russian stock market, which started trading in a minority, ended Wednesday with a decrease in the Moscow Exchange index and a stable RTS index. The Russian stock market after a negative start of trading went sideways against the background of mixed external signals (oil reduced losses, grew as part of the correction of stock Europe); the dynamics of blue chips was mixed, with the Moscow Exchange holding above 4050 points. The Moscow Exchange index fell by 0.17% – to 4058.37 points. The RTS index added only 0.01% to 1756.52 points.
Oil was down Thursday morning in Asia, continuing its downward trends as the latest, official data confirmed a build in U.S. crude supplies. Brent oil futures edged down 0.18% to $77.95 by 4:05 AM GMT and WTI futures inched down 0.03% to $74.81. Both Brent and WTI futures recorded small gains earlier in the session, however. After two days of price losses, some investors could be looking for the next barrier to breach after Brent futures climbed above the $80 mark for the first time in around three years on Tuesday.