Asian markets were muted in Tuesday trade as investors weighed the effect that promising news about Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine could have on the post-pandemic global recovery. Tech stocks sputtered.
Asian Shares
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI) gained 0.4%, losing some of the momentum it had built earlier in the morning.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 (N225) rose 0.5%, also paring earlier gains.
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South Korea’s Kospi (KOSPI) was up 0.2%.China’s Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) lost 0.5%, pulling back from early gains.
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The market rally is faltering after the Dow Jones Industrial Index (INDU) on Monday finished up nearly 3%, or 835 points.
- S&P 500 (SPX) finished up 1.2%.
- The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) lagged behind, closing down 1.5%.
Currency Markets
- The dollar declined to 104.84 yen from Monday’s 105.45 yen.
- The euro was little-changed at $1.1830.
Oil Prices
- In energy markets, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 39 cents to $39.90 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
- Brent crude, the price standard for international oils, shed 27 cents to $42.13 per barrel in London. It rose $2.95 the previous session to $42.40.