MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.4%, having rallied 2.2% last week. Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.1%, while Australia touched a fresh all-time peak.
· China stocks slip on soft factory activity; set for best monthly gain in six
China’s major stock indexes slipped on Monday after the country’s factory activity slowed slightly in May, but were on track for best monthly gain in about six months.
The CSI300 index fell 0.5% to 5,296.53 points at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.2% to 3,593.61 points.
Shenzhen’s start-up board ChiNext added 1.6%, while Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR50 index climbed 3.1%.
Markets in the United States and Britain are closed for a holiday, but futures were still trading in Asia with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both ahead by 0.1%. EUROSTOXX 50 futures eased 0.2%.
The main event of the week will be U.S. payrolls on Friday with median forecasts at 650,000 but the outcome is uncertain following April’s shockingly weak 266,000 gain.
That April figure was close to 750,000 lower than forecasts, the largest “miss” in the history of the series.
· Japanese shares end lower on profit-booking, drugmakers limit losses
Japanese shares closed lower on Monday, as investors locked in gains after a recent rally, although the losses were limited by a positive finish from local drugmakers.
The Nikkei share average ended 0.99% lower at 28,860.08, while the broader Topix fell 1.26% to 1,922.98.
The Nikkei had jumped 2.1% on Friday to close at the 29,000-level for the first time since May 10, while Wall Street finished with marginal gains.
· Indian shares rise as daily COVID-19 cases fall; GDP data eyed
Indian shares on Monday extended last week’s rally as declining COVID-19 cases buoyed investor sentiment ahead of GDP data for the first three months of the year.
The NSE Nifty 50 index rose 0.44% to 15,503.70 by 0515 GMT, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex climbed 0.55% to 51,1702.53. Both the indexes posted weekly gains of around 2% each, with the Nifty 50 closing at a record high on Friday.
· European stocks slip from record high, Deutsche Bank drags
European stocks slipped from record highs on Monday in subdued trading due to holidays in major markets, but optimism about a swift economic recovery put the benchmark index on course for a fourth month of gain.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1% by 0714 GMT, with shares in Frankfurt falling 0.2% and Paris dipping 0.1%.
UK and US markets are closed for a holiday, keeping trading activity muted across the board.
The STOXX 600 was on course to record a 2.6% rise in May as economies gradually reopened after lockdowns, while governments and central banks reiterated support to help the recovery.
Deutsche Bank slipped 1.7% after a report said the U.S. Federal Reserve told the German lender it was failing to address persistent shortcomings in its anti-money-laundering controls.
Reference: CNBC, Reuters
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