Asian shares were mostly higher Monday in Asia despite reports that the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. and worldwide has surged sharply.
Asian Shares
- The Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% higher to 22,499.32,.
- The Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 0.3% to 24,581.34.
- The Kospi in South Korea slipped 0.1% to 2,138.42,.
- In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 picked up 0.3% to 5,959.70.
- The Shanghai Composite index also added 0.3% to 2,975.57. Shares rose in Taiwan and Singapore but fell in Jakarta.
Bonds
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was steady Monday at 0.69% after climbing as high as 0.74% on Friday. It tends to move with investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.
Oil Prices
- A barrel of U.S. crude oil for delivery in July gave up 17 cents to $39.58 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 2.3% to settle at $39.75 on Friday.
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Brent crude, the international standard, lost 3 cents to $42.16 per barrel. It gained 1.6% to settle at $42.19 per barrel and the week’s end.
Currency Markets
- In currency trading, the U.S. dollar was at 106.89 Japanese yen, up from 106.87 on Friday.
- The euro rose to $1.1193 from $1.1178.