Asian share markets were solidly lower Thursday after large declines on Wall Street sapped investors' appetite for risk.
Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 2.1% with Australia's S&P/ASX 200 off 2.4% and South Korea's Kospi Composite down 2.6%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index had fallen 2.6% while the Shanghai Composite was down 1.2% and Taiwan's main index off 2.8%.
Light sweet crude for December delivery was seen trading at $77.06 a barrel. On Wednesday, US Energy Department report showed that U.S. gasoline stockpiles climbed 1.62 million barrels last week and inventories of crude oil rose 778,000 barrels to 339.9 million. Fuel demand dropped 0.8% to an average of 18.5 million barrels a day last week, the report showed.
In currency markets the euro managed to recover after falling to a low of $1.4683 against the U.S. dollar, with the single currency at $1.4718 from $1.4704 late in New York, and at Y132.90 against the Japanese yen, from a low of Y132.81 and Y133.55 in New York.
MCX November oil futures are trading down Rs 6 at Rs 3675 per barrel. The traders may sell the counter on rallies towards Rs 3680-85 levels with the target of Rs 3655 and stop loss of Rs 3700.