Asian stocks were mixed; Hong Kong lower

Asian stocks were mixed after an upbeat open on Thursday, as investors pinned their hopes on an economic rebound from the coronavirus crisis.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are urging the international community to pressure Beijing to withdraw proposed national security legislation that could further reduce the semi-autonomous Chinese territory’s civil liberties.

Asian Stocks

• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 1.8% to 22,885.13, while the Shanghai Composite index declined 0.4% to 2,824.49.
• Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index advanced 1.7% to 21,671.28, lifted by the latest, $1.1 trillion.
• India’s Sensex gained 1.2% to 31,985.18.
• S&P/ASX 200 in Sydney climbed 1.4% to 5,855.40.
• South Korean shares declined after health authorities reported 79 new cases of coronavirus in the latest setback for the country’s recovery from the pandemic.
• The Kospi lost 0.5% to 2,020.43.

Bonds

• The yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 0.69%.

Oil Prices

• U.S. crude oil for delivery in July lost $1.23 to $31.58 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell $1.54 on Wednesday to settle at $32.81 per barrel.
• July Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 83 cents to $34.62 per barrel.

Currency Markets

• The dollar bought 107.82 Japanese yen, up from 107.72 yen late Wednesday.
• The euro rose to $1.1010 from $1.1006.