Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 1.54%, Shanghai Composite down 0.61%, Hang Seng down 0.90% ASX up 0.14%
- Commodities : Gold at $2316.5 (-0.35%), Silver at $27.35 (-0.66%), Brent Oil at $81.81 (-1.68%), WTI Oil at $77.00 (-1.75%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.47, UK 10-year yield at 4.18, Germany 10-year yield at 2.44
News & Data:
- (EUR) Retail Sales m/m 0.8% vs 0.6% expected
Markets Update:
Asia-Pacific markets experienced a downturn led by Japan, where the Nikkei 225 dropped 1.63% and the broader Topix fell 1.45%. This decline followed earnings reports from Japanese giants Toyota Motor and Mitsubishi. Meanwhile, Singapore’s United Overseas Bank saw a 2.9% decrease despite surpassing estimates with a first-quarter net profit of 1.47 billion Singapore dollars.
Investor attention turned to upcoming data releases, including China’s April trade figures and Japan’s March pay numbers. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.77%, while China’s CSI 300 index closed approximately 0.8% lower. South Korea saw a notable debut as shares of ship maintenance firm HD Hyundai Marine Solution nearly doubled, marking the country’s largest IPO since January 2022.
In South Korea, the Kospi climbed 0.39% to reach its highest level in over a month, while the Kosdaq also rose 0.13%, hitting a month-high level. Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.14%, extending its five-day winning streak.
Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued its fifth consecutive day of gains. The S&P 500 saw a slight increase of 0.13%, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.1%.
Upcoming Events:
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