· Dow futures rise, continuing volatile week on Wall Street
U.S. stock futures ticked higher in overnight trading and pointed to modest gains at the open Wednesday, following a weak session that snapped a three-day winning streak for markets.
Fueling the volatility is uncertainty around a possible coronavirus treatment and vaccine and how economies will fare in reopening, from a health perspective.
Dow futures rose 168 points, implying a Wednesday opening gain of about 190 points. The futures contracts for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also pointed to a positive open for the two indexes.
· Asian stocks struggled to extend the week’s rally on Wednesday, and gold and bonds firmed, as a sceptical press report dented some hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine and concerns about the global recovery from the pandemic returned.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat. The risk-sensitive Australian dollar retreated from a two-month high struck on Tuesday and safe-haven demand drove U.S. Treasury yields back under 0.7%.
· Japanese stocks gained on Wednesday, supported by hopes that the government would allow economic and social activities to resume in response to a decline in new coronavirus infections.
The benchmark Nikkei average climbed 0.8% to a fresh two-and-a-half month closing high of 20,595.15, with shares in the healthcare and technology sectors leading the advance.
Japan’s government is expected to lift its state of emergency for Osaka and Kyoto in western Japan on Thursday after the rate of coronavirus infection fell below the government’s numerical target, domestic media have reported.
· China shares closed down on Wednesday as cautious investors held back waiting to hear the government’s economic plans to be made during the country’s annual political meetings.
At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.51% at 2,883.74.
The blue-chip CSI300 index was down 0.53%, with its financial sector sub-index lower by 0.04%, the consumer staples sector down 0.57%, the real estate index down 1.21% and the healthcare sub-index down 1.18%.
· European stocks edged into negative territory on Wednesday as positive global market sentiment falters.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 inched 0.3% lower in early trade, with telecoms stocks shedding 1% to lead losses while autos crept 0.3% higher as the only sector in positive territory.
Reference: CNBC, Reuters
Thai
Eng