Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average was up 0.3%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX
200 was down 0.2% and Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.1%. In China, the Shanghai
Composite Index slipped 1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng
Index was down 0.2%.
The WSJ reported: Chinese stocks also extended their retreat,
in what could be the Shanghai Composite Index’s third straight day of
losses. Energy shares, however, bucked the trend, as China’s CSI 300
energy subindex was up 0.3%.
Concerns about the health of the U.S. economy resurfaced, after an early reading of the Markit Economics’ services purchasing managers index came in weaker than expected overnight.
In a sign of investors’ caution, the price of gold, a traditional safe-haven asset, rebounded in early Asian trading Thursday to $1,232.30 a troy ounce.
Oil prices have been in the doldrums for nearly two years, but recent supply disruptions and growing demand from China and India have injected fresh optimism into the market. Prices are now nearly 80% higher than where they were in February when they hit a 12-year low.
The U.S. dollar lost 0.5% against the yen to trade at 109.64 in early trade notwithstanding the expected raise in interest rates.
Concerns about the health of the U.S. economy resurfaced, after an early reading of the Markit Economics’ services purchasing managers index came in weaker than expected overnight.
In a sign of investors’ caution, the price of gold, a traditional safe-haven asset, rebounded in early Asian trading Thursday to $1,232.30 a troy ounce.
Oil prices have been in the doldrums for nearly two years, but recent supply disruptions and growing demand from China and India have injected fresh optimism into the market. Prices are now nearly 80% higher than where they were in February when they hit a 12-year low.
The U.S. dollar lost 0.5% against the yen to trade at 109.64 in early trade notwithstanding the expected raise in interest rates.