Stocks in Asia-Pacific were mixed in Monday trade. Meanwhile, official data showed that China’s industrial profits for May slowed.
Mainland Chinese stocks were mixed, with the Shanghai composite fractionally lower while the Shenzhen component gained 0.924%.
Data released Sunday by China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed profits at China’s industrial firms rose 36.4% in May as compared with a year earlier. That was a slowdown from the 57% year-on-year growth posted in April.
Elsewhere, the Nikkei 225 in Japan slipped 0.28% while the Topix index sat below the flatline. South Korea’s Kospi dipped 0.1%.
Australia stocks slipped, as the S&P/ASX 200 fell slightly.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan traded 0.11% lower.
Trading set to resume in Hong Kong
Trading in Hong Kong’s markets was set to resume at 1:30 p.m. HK/SIN on Monday after an earlier weather warning was lowered.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing announced earlier on Monday that the morning trading sessions of both the securities and derivatives markets, including Stock Connect trading, will be delayed due to a black rainstorm warning.
Black rainstorm signals are issued as a warning of heavy rain that is likely to bring about flooding on the roads, leading to traffic congestion.
Currencies and oil
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 91.866 after a decline earlier this month from above 92.1.
The Japanese yen traded at 110.68 per dollar after last week’s weakening from below 110.4 against the greenback. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7582 after rising last week from below $0.756.
Oil prices were lower in the morning of Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 0.26% to $75.98 per barrel. U.S. crude futures shed 0.19% to $73.91 per barrel.
