Asian markets end mostly down on Monday
Japanese shares slipped, tracking Wall Streets’ fall last Friday
Asian markets ended mostly down on Monday amid rising energy risks as the Middle East conflict entered its fifth week with no clear resolution in sight. Investors were reacting to the entry of Yemen's Houthi movement into the regional war following missile and drone strikes on Israel over the weekend. Japanese shares slipped, tracking Wall Streets’ fall last Friday. At the March meeting the Bank of Japan (BOJ) kept its short-term interest rate steady at 0.75% as widely expected by markets, but the central bank maintained a hawkish bias, warning that surging oil prices driven by the Middle East conflict could exacerbate inflationary pressure.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,923.29 | 9.56 | 0.24 |
Hang Seng | 24,750.79 | -201.09 | -0.81 |
Jakarta Composite | 7,091.67 | - | - |
KLSE Composite | 1,687.90 | -24.75 | -1.45 |
Nikkei 225 | 51,885.85 | - | - |
Straits Times | 4,897.26 | -0.92 | -0.02 |
KOSPI Composite | 5,277.30 | - | - |
Taiwan Weighted | 32,518.16 | - | -1.80 |
