Asia Pacific stock market ended mostly down on Wednesday, 19 August
2015, as risk sentiments dented on tracking weak lead from Wall Street
overnight and on caution ahead of the Federal Reserve minutes later in
the global day. The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index dropped 0.6% to 136.16.
Wall Street shares retreated overnight, with the S&P 500 sliding 0.26% to close at 2096.92 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.2%, to close at 17498.28, pressured by weak earnings from retail giant Wal-Mart.
Investors risk sentiment in Asian region also weighed down by concern over growth slowdown in China. Concerns about slowing demand from China for commodities also hit copper prices, which slid to a six-year low of $4,983 a tonne, breaking the psychological $5,000 level. It last stood at $5,025.00 a tonne.
Oil resumed falling after a brief bounce on Tuesday. Prospects of demand from the United States weakening during the upcoming autumn and a slowdown in Asia's leading economies have weighed on the commodity. U.S. crude futures were down 0.2% at $42.52 per barrel, edging back towards a six-and-a-half-year low of $41.35 struck on Friday. Brent crude was down 0.4% at $48.63 a barrel and in reach of six-and-a-half-month troughs.
Investors are refocusing attention on the minutes of the Federal Reserve's July due later on Wednesday which will be scrutinised with extra care for any new clues on the Fed's likely timing to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade.
Among Asian bourses
Australian market rebounds 1.45%
The Australian share market closed sharply higher, shrugging off weak offshore lead, as investors chased for bottom fishing on recently battered stocks after the market hit fresh 7-months low yesterday. Almost all sectors ended in the green, with shares of energy, financial, resources, and consumer goods companies leading advancers. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index rebounded 77.10 points, or 1.45%, to 5380.20 points, while the broader All Ordinaries Index grew 70.40 points, or 1.33%, to 5379.80 points.
Nikkei falls 1.6%
Japanese share market plummeted on tracking falls on the European and the US markets overnight and on caution ahead of Federal Reserve minutes later in the global day. Most of TSE sectors dived in red, with Electrical/Machinery, Transport and Retail sectors being major loser. The Nikkei Stock Average declined 331.84 points, or 1.61%, to end at 20222.63 points. The broader Topix index ended 23.74 points, or 1.42%, lower at 1648.48 points.
Trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance released Wednesday, showing Japanese exports rose 7.6% on year on continued demand for automobiles in the U.S. and Europe as well as semiconductors in Asia, while Imports fell 3.2% on year due to lower prices for oil and gas. As a result, Japan's trade deficit was Y268.1 billion in July, shrinking from a shortfall of Y966.5 billion a year before.
China market flips to gain
Mainland China's stock market ended higher after recouping intraday losses late afternoon on the back of a handful of companies' disclosure of their biggest shareholders and as the People's Bank of China (PBOC) injected more funds into the financial system in a bid to calm panicky markets. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed higher by 1.23%, or 45.95 points, to 3794.11 points, after erasing intraday loss of as much as 5.1%. The gauge slumped 6.2% on Tuesday. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, grew 2.19%, or 47.63 points, to 2222.05 points. Total volume of A shares traded in Shanghai was 47.54 billion shares, while Shenzhen volume was 33.17 billion shares.
Locally, risk sentiments encouraged by news that the PBOC would offer selected banks new medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans in a bid to offset tightened liquidity conditions following the sharp devaluation of the yuan last week. On Tuesday, the central bank injected 120 billion yuan ($18.77 billion) into the money markets through seven-day reverse bond repurchase agreements, marking the biggest injection via open market operations since the Chinese New Year holiday in February.
Hong Kong market ends down for fourth day
Hong Kong stock market declined for fourth straight session today, as risk sentiment shaken by weak lead from Wall Street overnight and growing worries that the Chinese government could scale back its rescue efforts for the markets. Risk confidence was also shaken by continued weakness in the yuan, which could lead to fresh outflows of capital from the country. The Hang Seng Index ended down 307.12 points, or 1.31%, at 23167.85 points. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, benchmark measure of performance of mainland China enterprises, lost 127.81 points, or 1.19%, to 10642.24 points. Turnover soared to HK$91.8 billion from HK$80.8 billion on Tuesday.
Sensex registers modest gains
Pharma and IT stocks led gains for key benchmark indices. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, and the 50-unit CNX Nifty registered modest gains. The Sensex provisionally settled below the psychological 28,000 level, having alternately moved above and below that mark in intraday trade. Earlier, the Sensex pierced the psychological 28,000 level in mid-morning trade. The Sensex was provisionally up 109.94 points or 0.4% to 27,941.48. The CNX Nifty was up 28.60 points or 0.34% at 8,495.15.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold Indian shares worth a net Rs 255.42 crore yesterday, 18 August 2015, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 127.50 crore yesterday, 18 August 2015, as per provisional data.
Elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region: Taiwan's Taiex index fell 1.9% to 8021.84. South Korea's KOPSI declined 0.9% to 1939.38. New Zealand's NZX50 added 0.7% to 5750.03. Singapore's Straits Times index shed 0.3% at 3041.25. Indonesia's Jakarta Composite index sank 0.6% to 4484.24. Malaysia's KLCI rose 0.2% to 1582.44.
Wall Street shares retreated overnight, with the S&P 500 sliding 0.26% to close at 2096.92 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.2%, to close at 17498.28, pressured by weak earnings from retail giant Wal-Mart.
Investors risk sentiment in Asian region also weighed down by concern over growth slowdown in China. Concerns about slowing demand from China for commodities also hit copper prices, which slid to a six-year low of $4,983 a tonne, breaking the psychological $5,000 level. It last stood at $5,025.00 a tonne.
Oil resumed falling after a brief bounce on Tuesday. Prospects of demand from the United States weakening during the upcoming autumn and a slowdown in Asia's leading economies have weighed on the commodity. U.S. crude futures were down 0.2% at $42.52 per barrel, edging back towards a six-and-a-half-year low of $41.35 struck on Friday. Brent crude was down 0.4% at $48.63 a barrel and in reach of six-and-a-half-month troughs.
Investors are refocusing attention on the minutes of the Federal Reserve's July due later on Wednesday which will be scrutinised with extra care for any new clues on the Fed's likely timing to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade.
Among Asian bourses
Australian market rebounds 1.45%
The Australian share market closed sharply higher, shrugging off weak offshore lead, as investors chased for bottom fishing on recently battered stocks after the market hit fresh 7-months low yesterday. Almost all sectors ended in the green, with shares of energy, financial, resources, and consumer goods companies leading advancers. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index rebounded 77.10 points, or 1.45%, to 5380.20 points, while the broader All Ordinaries Index grew 70.40 points, or 1.33%, to 5379.80 points.
Nikkei falls 1.6%
Japanese share market plummeted on tracking falls on the European and the US markets overnight and on caution ahead of Federal Reserve minutes later in the global day. Most of TSE sectors dived in red, with Electrical/Machinery, Transport and Retail sectors being major loser. The Nikkei Stock Average declined 331.84 points, or 1.61%, to end at 20222.63 points. The broader Topix index ended 23.74 points, or 1.42%, lower at 1648.48 points.
Trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance released Wednesday, showing Japanese exports rose 7.6% on year on continued demand for automobiles in the U.S. and Europe as well as semiconductors in Asia, while Imports fell 3.2% on year due to lower prices for oil and gas. As a result, Japan's trade deficit was Y268.1 billion in July, shrinking from a shortfall of Y966.5 billion a year before.
China market flips to gain
Mainland China's stock market ended higher after recouping intraday losses late afternoon on the back of a handful of companies' disclosure of their biggest shareholders and as the People's Bank of China (PBOC) injected more funds into the financial system in a bid to calm panicky markets. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed higher by 1.23%, or 45.95 points, to 3794.11 points, after erasing intraday loss of as much as 5.1%. The gauge slumped 6.2% on Tuesday. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, grew 2.19%, or 47.63 points, to 2222.05 points. Total volume of A shares traded in Shanghai was 47.54 billion shares, while Shenzhen volume was 33.17 billion shares.
Locally, risk sentiments encouraged by news that the PBOC would offer selected banks new medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans in a bid to offset tightened liquidity conditions following the sharp devaluation of the yuan last week. On Tuesday, the central bank injected 120 billion yuan ($18.77 billion) into the money markets through seven-day reverse bond repurchase agreements, marking the biggest injection via open market operations since the Chinese New Year holiday in February.
Hong Kong market ends down for fourth day
Hong Kong stock market declined for fourth straight session today, as risk sentiment shaken by weak lead from Wall Street overnight and growing worries that the Chinese government could scale back its rescue efforts for the markets. Risk confidence was also shaken by continued weakness in the yuan, which could lead to fresh outflows of capital from the country. The Hang Seng Index ended down 307.12 points, or 1.31%, at 23167.85 points. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, benchmark measure of performance of mainland China enterprises, lost 127.81 points, or 1.19%, to 10642.24 points. Turnover soared to HK$91.8 billion from HK$80.8 billion on Tuesday.
Sensex registers modest gains
Pharma and IT stocks led gains for key benchmark indices. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, and the 50-unit CNX Nifty registered modest gains. The Sensex provisionally settled below the psychological 28,000 level, having alternately moved above and below that mark in intraday trade. Earlier, the Sensex pierced the psychological 28,000 level in mid-morning trade. The Sensex was provisionally up 109.94 points or 0.4% to 27,941.48. The CNX Nifty was up 28.60 points or 0.34% at 8,495.15.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold Indian shares worth a net Rs 255.42 crore yesterday, 18 August 2015, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 127.50 crore yesterday, 18 August 2015, as per provisional data.
Elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region: Taiwan's Taiex index fell 1.9% to 8021.84. South Korea's KOPSI declined 0.9% to 1939.38. New Zealand's NZX50 added 0.7% to 5750.03. Singapore's Straits Times index shed 0.3% at 3041.25. Indonesia's Jakarta Composite index sank 0.6% to 4484.24. Malaysia's KLCI rose 0.2% to 1582.44.
