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HONG KONG, Dec 5: Asian stocks closed mostly flat on Monday with investors following Wall Street’s lacklustre lead and holding fire after recent sustained gains, dealers said. However, Tokyo continued to defy regional trends and struck a fresh five-year high on increased confidence in the world’s second largest economy.
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Jakarta and Manila were flat while Bangkok was closed for a public holiday.
TOKYO: Share prices closed above 15,500 points for the first time in over five years Monday as investors remained confident about prospects for the economy and corporate profits.
The Nikkei-225 index rose 129.71 points or 0.84 per cent to 15,551.31, the highest closing level since Oct 10, 2000 as 3.72 billion shares changed hands.
HONG KONG: Share prices closed 0.27 per cent lower on profit-taking after recent gains, with Wall Street’s mixed performance on Friday making investors cautious.
SYDNEY: Share prices closed little changed in lackluster trade, with few drivers to give the market direction.
The SP/ASX 200 index was up 1.1 points at 4,624.6. A total of 920.1 million shares worth 2.67 billion dollars (2.0 billion US) changed hands.
SINGAPORE: Share prices closed flat as marginal gains in selected blue chips offset losses in smaller-cap stocks.
“It is the year-end, and most of the European and US funds are closing their books. It should be expected that trading interest will continue to be thin,” said a dealer with a local brokerage.
The Straits Times Index added 0.09 points to 2,332.61. Volume totalled 624.83 million shares worth 621.64 million Singapore dollars (367 million US).
KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices closed flat in lacklustre trade in the absence of any fresh leads after recent losses.
On the interest rate front, Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akthar Aziz said it has no plans for a further increase in interest rates after a 30 basis point rise last week.
JAKARTA: Share prices closed slightly higher with investors taking to the sidelines as they await President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s new cabinet line-up to be announced later in the day.
WELLINGTON: Share prices closed 0.93 per cent lower after exporter stocks were hit by another spike in the local currency.
ABN Amro broker Matt Willis said despite the sharp fall, there was not much cause for concern given the light volumes.
The New Zealand dollar was at 71.42 US cents at the close of local trading Monday, up from 70.66c on Friday.
MUMBAI: Share prices closed 1.54 per cent lower as investors sold leading index shares after recent gains triggered by strong economic growth.—AFP
