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HONG KONG, July 4: Asian stocks closed mixed to easier on Monday, marking time after recent solid gains and finding no lead in modest summer trade despite solid US economic data last week, dealers said. They said that with US markets closed for the Independence Day holiday, there was no incentive to trade actively and few specific news leads to follow.
Positive US manufacturing and consumer confidence data were welcome, suggesting the US economy has definitely got through the soft patch talked so much about earlier this year, while continued strength in the dollar helped key exporters in the region.
TOKYO: Share prices closed 0.18 per cent higher, continuing to find support from last week’s better-than-expected Bank of Japan Tankan survey of business confidence.
The Nikkei-225 index rose 21.42 points to 11,651.55 on volume of 1.3 billion shares, down from 1.5 billion Friday.
Toyota Motor was up 30 to 4,040 while Nissan rose 12 to 1,116.
HONG KONG: Share prices closed 0.16 per cent weaker as index heavyweight HSBC remained under pressure following a downgrade by Morgan Stanley.
HSBC’s fall “was the primary reason” for the benchmark index ending in negative territory, Chan added.
SYDNEY: Share prices closed 0.22 per cent higher, supported by a more positive view on global economic growth after solid US figures last week.
The key SP/ASX 200 index ended up 9.3 points at 4,281.9.Turnover came to 678.69 million shares worth 2.09 billion dollars (1.57 billion US dollars).
BHP Billiton closed up 0.11 at 18.20 dollars and Rio Tinto added 0.08 to 45.20 dollars.
SINGAPORE: Share prices closed 0.51 per cent higher, boosted by buying interest in selected blue chips.
The Straits Times Index rose 11.21 points to 2,221.16 on volume of 540 million shares worth 466 million Singapore dollars (276 million US).
KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices closed 0.52 per cent higher but trade overall remained cautious as concerns over potentially weaker global economic growth on sustained high oil prices, weighed on sentiment.
The composite index rose 4.67 points at 898.69 and volume was 297.20 million shares, worth 557.71 million ringgit (147 million dollars).
JAKARTA: Share prices closed flat, with selling pressure sparked by a weaker rupiah offset by a rebound in Telkom after early losses.
Telkom closed flat at 5,250 rupiah, off an intra-day low of 5,150, on volume of 15.97 million shares, with Indosat also ending flat at 5,650, from a low of 5,550. Cigarette maker Gudang Garam lost 100 to 12,700.
WELLINGTON: Share prices rose 0.43 per cent following a positive lead from overseas markets and after exporters gained from a fall in the local currency.
The NZSX-50 gross index rose 13.99 points to 3,249.33 on turnover worth 124.02 million dollars (84.4 million US).
MUMBAI: Share prices closed 0.92 per cent higher at a fresh record high as overseas investors bought shares in a broad list of companies, dealers said.—AFP
