International
Oil Outlook, Interest Rates Dent Asian Stock Markets
Asian stock markets largely fell Thursday, pressured by higher global crude prices, rising interest rates, and uncertain prospects for a re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz.Hong Kong and Tokyo finished in the red, while Shanghai edged higher. Other regional exchanges were similarly mixed on the downside.In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower after a one-day hiatus and could not recover, finishing off 1.1% after yields on 10-year Japanese government bonds reached to 2.52%, the highest in almost 30 years.The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 632.54 to 59,284.92, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 156 to 65.Leading the upside was Renesas Electronics, up 10.3%, while IT-giant Fujitsu declined 13.9% after reporting earnings.In economic news, Japan industrial production in March rose 2.3% on year, but declined by a seasonally adjusted 0.5% from February, on soft chemical and oil production, reported the Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI).The nation's retail sales in March rose 1.7% on year, and gained 1.3% from February, added METI.In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened evenly but declined in trading, closing down 1.3% as traders monitored still-rising oil prices.The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 335.31 to 25,776.53, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 70 to 8. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.8% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 0.1%.Leading the upside was Semiconductor Manufacturing International, gaining 7.8%, while EV-maker BYD declined 5.4%.On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.1% to 4,112.16.In economic news, China's manufacturing sector purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 52.2 in April, up from 50.8 in March, and striking further above the 50-mark that divides growth from contraction, reported S&P Global.Separately, China's official PMI logged at 50.3 in April, off modestly from from March's 12-month high of 50.4, reported the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 1.4%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 1%; the Australian ASX 200 declined o.2%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 1.1%, and the Thai Set inclined 0.1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.8%MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index fell nearly 1% on the day.
Hang SengNikkei 225Shanghai Composite