Asian shares were mostly lower, gyrating in early Wednesday trading amid uncertainty over the coronavirus outbreak, which continues to claim more lives around the world.
Asian shares
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched up 0.1% to 18,974.06 in morning trading.
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.3% at 5,234.60.
- South Korea’s Kospi lost nearly 0.4% to 1,816.84.
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.6% to 24,121.07.
- The Shanghai Composite dipped 0.4% to 2,808.85.
Oil Prices
- Oil prices have dipped as many people are no longer driving to work, flying to meetings or heading to the store amid the economic shutdown. Benchmark U.S. crude oil surged $1.48 to $25.11 a barrel. It fell $2.45, or 9.4%, to settle at $23.63 per barrel Tuesday.
- Brent crude, the international standard, gained 90 cents to $32.77.
Currencies
- The dollar inched down to 108.75 yen from 108.80 yen Tuesday. The euro slipped to $1.0872 from $1.0892 .