· Shares markets lost some steam in Asian trading on Wednesday while sterling came off five-month highs as investors remained uncertain whether crunch talks in Brussels would lead to a deal to avoid a disorderly British exit from the European Union.
U.S. S&P500 futures fell 0.3% also on rising caution over U.S-China trade deal after China lambasted new legislation taking a hard line on China.
Many Asian share markets still held some gains in the wake of Tuesday gains by U.S. and European equities.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4% while Japan's Nikkei .N225 jumped 1.5%, hitting 10-month highs.
· Japanese shares rallied to more than 10-month highs on Wednesday as a weaker yen lifted bluechip exporters, while chipmaking-related stocks advanced, taking their cue from Wall Street peers.
The benchmark Nikkei share average climbed 1.2% to 22,472.92, its highest close since Dec. 3, having gaided 1.9% gains on Tuesday. The broader Topix rose 0.7% to 1,631.51, also closing at its highest in more than 10 months.
Overnight, the Japanese yen hit a 2-1/2 month low of 108.90 yen against the greenback as investors flocked to riskier assets on hopes of an orderly British exit from the European Union.
· China stocks fell on Wednesday, as optimism over a concrete U.S.-China trade deal faded, with risk appetite also curbed by fresh domestic signs of economic weakness.
The blue-chip CSI300 index closed 0.3% lower to 3,922.69, while the Shanghai Composite Index ended 0.4% down to 2,978.71.
· European stocks opened mostly lower Wednesday as investors pause for guidance on the likelihood of an imminent Brexit deal between the U.K. and the EU.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 hovered just below the flatline in the opening minutes of trading, with basic resources falling 1.2% to lead losses while healthcare stocks climbed 0.5%.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
Thai
Eng