外汇新闻

The Australian stock market modestly higher on Tuesday, recouping the losses in the previous session, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 moving to just a tad below the 7,500 level at nine-month highs, despite the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight, with gains in financial and iron ore mining stocks partially offset by weakness in technology stocks.

The Hong Kong stock market on Monday ended the three-day winning streak in which it had surged more than 1,000 points or 4.5 percent. The Hang Seng Index now sits just beneath the 22,070-point plateau and it's likely to open under pressure again on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests consolidation ahead of rate decisions this week from central banks in England and the United States. The European markets were mixed and little changed and the U.S. bourses were firmly in the red and the Asian markets figure to split the difference.

Industrial production in South Korea was down a seasonally adjusted 2.9 percent on month in December, Statistics Korea said on Tuesday.

The China stock market has risen in four straight sessions, collecting more than 65 points or 2.1 percent along the way. The Shanghai Composite Index now rests just shy of the 3,270-point plateau although the rally may stall on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests consolidation ahead of rate decisions this week from central banks in England and the United States. The European markets were mixed and little changed and the U.S. bourses were firmly in the red and the Asian markets figure to split the difference. Returning from the long Lunar New Year break, the SCI finished slightly higher following mixed performances from the financial shares, property stocks and resource companies. For the day, the index perked 4.50 points or 0.14 percent to finish at 3,269.32 after trading between 3,266.76 and 3,310.49. Among the actives, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China dipped 0.23 percent, while Bank of China collected 0.31 percent, China Merchants Bank rallied 2.39 percent, Bank of Communications perked 0.21 percent, China Life Insurance plunged 3.60 percent, Jiangxi Copper skidded 1.02 percent, Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco) climbed 1.15 percent, Yankuang Energy plummeted 5.83 percent, PetroChina added 0.39 percent, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) shed 0.44 percent, Huaneng Power tumbled 2.05 percent, China Shenhua Energy tanked 2.26 percent, Gemdale slumped 2.81 percent, Poly Developments retreated 1.77 percent, China Vanke declined 2.64 percent, China Fortune Land surged 4.30 percent, Beijing Capital Development soared 3.55 percent and China Construction Bank was unchanged.

Retail sales in Japan were up a seasonally adjusted 1.4 percent on month in December, Statistics Korea said on Tuesday.

Private sector credit in Australia was up 0.3 percent on month in December, the Reserve Bank of Australia said on Tuesday - shy of expectations for 0.5 percent, which would have been unchanged.