Asian Markets Trading Mixed

(RTTNews) - Reflecting the mixed cues from Wall Street on Friday, Asian stock markets are mixed in slim holiday trading on Monday, as traders react to the US narrowly avoiding a government shutdown amid a last minute temporary agreement reached by the legislators. Concerns about high interest rates and global economic slowdown rendered the mood cautious, prompting traders to lighten commitments. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Friday.

Reversing the gains in the previous session, the Australian stock market is slightly lower on Monday, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 staying above the 7,000 mark, following the mixed cues from Wall Street on Friday, with weakness in energy and financial stocks nearly offset by gains in mining and technology stocks.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is losing 4.30 points or 0.06 percent to 7,044.30, after hitting a low of 7,014.90 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 3.10 points or 0.04 percent to 7,246.60. Australian stocks closed modestly higher on Friday.

Among the major miners, Rio Tinto is gaining almost 1 percent, while Fortescue Metals and BHP Group are edging up 0.3 percent each. Mineral Resources is edging down 0.3 percent.

Oil stocks are mostly lower. Woodside Energy is losing almost 1 percent and Santos is declining more than 1 percent, while Origin Energy and Beach energy are edging down 0.1 to 0.5 percent each.

Among tech stocks, Afterpay owner Block and Xero are edging up 0.4 to 0.5 percent each, while Appen is gaining almost 1 percent and Zip is advancing almost 4 percent. WiseTech Global is edging down 0.2 percent.

Gold miners are mostly higher. Gold Road Resources is gaining almost 2 percent and Northern Star Resources is edging up 0.5 percent, while Evolution Mining, Newcrest Mining and Resolute Mining are adding almost 1 percent each. Among the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Banking and National Australia Bank are edging down 0.2 to 0.5 percent each. Westpac is flat.

In economic news, the manufacturing sector in Australia continued to contract in September, and at a faster rate, the latest survey from Judo Bank revealed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 48.7. That's down from 49.6 in August, and it moves further beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.642 on Monday. Recouping the losses in the previous two sessions, the Japanese stock market is sharply higher on Monday, following the mixed cues from Wall Street on Friday. The Nikkei 225 is moving above the 32,300 level, with gains across most sectors led by financial and technology stocks.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed the morning session at 32,305.66, up 448.04 or 1.41 percent, after touching a high of 32,401.58 earlier. Japanese shares ended slightly lower on Friday.

Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is gaining almost 1 percent and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing are adding more than 2 percent. Among automakers, Honda and Toyota are gaining more than 2 percent each.

In the tech space, Screen Holdings is gaining more than 4 percent, Advantest is adding almost 4 percent and Tokyo Electron is edging up 0.1 percent.

In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial and Mizuho Financial are gaining more than 2 percent each, while Mitsubishi UFJ Financial is adding almost 3 percent.

The major exporters are higher. Canon and Mitsubishi Electric are gaining almost 1 percent each, while Sony is adding 1.5 percent and Panasonic is advancing more than 1 percent.

Among other major gainers, Resonac Holdings is surging almost 5 percent, Fukuoka Financial is gaining almost 5 percent and Yaskawa Electric is adding more than 4 percent, while Shizuoka Financial, Mitsubishi Motors, Concordia Financial and OKUMA are advancing almost 4 percent each. Sharp, NSK, SMC Corp. and Chiba Bank are up more than 3 percent each, while Japan Post and Trend Micro are rising almost 3 percent each.

Conversely, there are no major losers.

In economic news, large manufacturing in Japan was steady in the third quarter of 2023, the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan Survey of business sentiment showed on Monday with a diffusion index score of +9. That beat forecasts for a reading of +6 and was up from +5 three months ago. The outlook came in at +10, exceeding expectations for +5 and up from +9 in the previous quarter.

The large non-manufacturers index came in at +27, beating forecasts for +24 and up from +23. The outlook was +21, missing forecasts for +22 but up from +20 three months earlier. The small manufacturing index was at -5, while the small non-manufacturing index was at +12.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector in Japan continued to contract in September, and at a faster rate, the latest survey from Jibun Bank revealed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 48.5. That's down from 49.6 in August, and it moves further beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the higher 149 yen-range on Monday.

Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan is up 1.2 percent, while Singapore and Indonesia are higher by between 0.2 and 0.3 percent each. New Zealand and Malaysia are down 0.5 and 0.1 percent, respectively. China and Hong Kong are closed for National Day, while South Korea remains closed for the Chuseok Festival.

On Wall Street, stocks turned weak after a firm start on Friday, and among the major averages, the Nasdaq managed to settle slightly higher, while the Dow and the S&P 500 ended on a negative note. Activity was mostly stock specific with earnings updates and other corporate news providing some direction.

The Dow, which rose to 33,893.68 in early trades, ended the day's session at 33,507.50, losing 158.84 points or 0.47 percent. The S&P 500 ended down 11.65 points or 0.27 percent at 4,288.05, while the Nasdaq settled at 13,219.32, gaining 18.05 points or 0.14 percent.

Meanwhile, the major European markets also moved to the upside on the day. Germany's DAX climbed 0.41 percent, France's CAC 40 advanced 0.26 percent, and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged up 0.08 percent.

Crude oil futures settled lower on Friday, with a bit of profit taking and uncertainty about the outlook for energy demand weighing on prices. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for November ended lower by $0.92 or 1 percent at $90.79 a barrel. WTI crude futures added 0.8 percent in the week and 8.5 percent in September.