Investing.com - Asian Pacific shares kicked off Tuesday on a low note, following the trend set by European stocks, as US markets remained closed.
By 11:25 am AEDT (12:25 am GMT) the S&P/ASX 200, KOSPI 200, and Nikkei 225 indices all experienced declines of 0.8%, 0.4%, and 0.5% respectively. US equity and bond markets were closed in honour of Martin Luther King Day.
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In the commodities market, Brent crude oil recorded a 0.2% drop to US$78.13 a barrel, while gold saw a 0.4% increase to US$2,056.55.
In local bond markets, the yield on Australian 2 Year government bonds fell to 3.78%, while the 10 Year yield remained flat at 4.07%. US Treasury notes were unchanged, with the 2 Year yield at 4.14% and the 10 Year yield at 3.94%.
Chinese shares saw a mixed close as investors processed the People's Bank of China's (PBOC) latest decision to maintain key policy rates, reflecting the country's concerns about bank profitability, according to ANZ Research analysts. The Shanghai Composite Index experienced a slight rise of 0.15% to 2886.29, while the Shenzhen Composite Index concluded 0.3% lower at 1743.58. The ChiNext Price Index fell by 0.9%.
Hong Kong shares closed lower due to a drag from the tech sector. Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) plummeted 11.5% even after denying any connection or partnership with a Chinese academic institution following a news report linking the company's Ernie to the military-affiliated university's AI test. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 1.9% to 3404.00.
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.9% to close at 35901.79, its highest level since February 1990, driven by shipping and securities-related stocks. USD/JPY was at 145.27, compared with 145.12 around Friday's Tokyo stock-market close. The 10-year JGB yield was down 3 bps at 0.555%.
Indian shares continued their upward trajectory for the fifth consecutive session, hitting record highs. The benchmark Sensex Index climbed 1.05% to 73327.94, surpassing the 73000 level for the first time. Tech stocks led the gains with Wipro adding 6.25% after its better-than-anticipated fiscal 3Q results.
European stocks also fell as the absence of US trading due to a public holiday stifled market momentum. The Stoxx Europe 600 and DAX fell 0.5%, while the FTSE 100 backtracked 0.4% and the CAC 40 retreated 0.7%. The FTSE 100 index closed Monday down 0.4% at 7594 points, primarily dragged down by financial stocks and retailers.