Stock markets, positive closing for Tokyo and Mumbai, on gas and oil

The main Asian stock exchanges ended the trading day in mixed territory, with Tokyo which records a good rise, while other markets such as Hong Kong e Shanghai they remain more cautious. The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo it gained 1.3%, closing at 33,450.45 points, thanks above all to the recovery of the technology sector and better-than-expected Japanese economic data.

The performance of Asian stock markets

A Hong Kong, l’indice Hang Seng ended with a decline of 0.4%, penalized by declines in the real estate sector, still under pressure from the liquidity crisis of the main companies in the sector, including Country Garden. In Shanghai, the Composite closed flat (+0.1%), awaiting new developments on the country’s monetary policies Central Bank of China.

mumbaihowever, recorded a gain of 0.8%, with the Sensex closing at 66,890.25 points. The Indian stock market was driven by the performance of banking stocks, supported by expectations of robust quarterly results.

Currencies on the move
On the currency front, the Japanese yen weakened further against the dollar, falling to 135.20, in line with expectations of a continuation of the ultra-accommodative monetary policy of the Bank of Japan. The Indian rupee held steady at 82.45 against the dollar, while the Chinese yuan recovered slightly to 7.28 after PBOC intervention to stabilize the currency.

Gas and oil: increases after new sanctions
The raw materials market sees a sharp increase in the price of European natural gas, which opened in Amsterdam with a rise of 4%, reaching 46.75 euros per megawatt hour. The reaction follows new sanctions announced by the United States against Russia, targeting the energy sector. Oil also saw a slight increase: Brent rose 0.9% to $79.45 a barrel, while WTI gained 0.8% to $74.10 a barrel.

Spreads and returns in Asia
The spread between Chinese 10-year government bonds and US Treasuries narrowed to 130 basis points, reflecting increased confidence in the Chinese bond market. In Japan, 10-year bond yields remained stable at 0.58%, despite recent fluctuations related to statements from the Bank of Japan.

Analysts: positive signs for Asia

“Asian markets are showing resilience, supported by a gradual economic recovery and optimism for 2025”, he declared Jeffrey Halley, senior analyst at OANDAin an interview given today to Bloomberg. “THowever, uncertainty over global monetary policies could weigh on capital flows in the coming weeks”.