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Shares fell Monday in Asia as China reported investment fell in November in the latest signal that demand in the world's second largest economy remains weak. The retreat followed a dismal end to last week, when declines for superstar artificial-intelligence stocks knocked Wall Street off its record heights Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index shed 1.5% to 50,092.10, as investors wait to see if the Bank of Japan will raise its benchmark interest rate as expected this week. The BOJ's quarterly tankan survey of big manufacturers, released Monday, showed a slight improvement in sentiment among such businesses. The measure of those expressing optimism rose to 15 from 14 in the last quarter, the highest level in four years, the central bank said. The index shows the percentage of companies reporting positive conditions minus the percentage reporting unfavourable ones. While the overall survey showed improvement, forecasts for the next quarter were less positive. Japan's economy contracted at a 2.3%
Asian shares traded mixed on Thursday after US stocks drifted near their records. US futures edged higher, while oil prices declined. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.2 per cent to 51,139.48 as investors took heart as the US government shutdown finally ended. President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores of travellers at airports and generated long lines at some food banks. The shutdown had blocked not just spending, but also delayed a raft of federal economic data, Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary, adding that for markets, the only line that matters is simple: the lights are coming back on. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.6 per cent to 26,766.71, while the Shanghai Composite index edged up 0.4 per cent to 4,016.24 as mainland stocks climbed ahead of updates on lending in China. Australia's S&P ASX 200 fell 1