Asian markets were mostly higher Thursday after a report that the U.S. proposed a new round of trade negotiations with China quelled fears that a dispute between the world’s two largest economies was spiraling out of control.
Continue Reading Below
KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.9 percent to 22,814.88, and the Kospi in South Korea rose 0.2 percent to 2,288.00. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 1.6 percent to 26,760.54. The Shanghai Composite index gained 0.7 percent to 2,674.38. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.8 percent to 6,126.70. Stocks were higher in Taiwan and most of Southeast Asia.
WALL STREET: U.S. stocks were mixed on Wednesday as technology companies fell, cancelling out gains in the energy sector. The S&P 500 index was less than 0.1 higher at 2,888.92. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.1 percent to 25,998.92. The losses for technology companies weighed on the Nasdaq composite, which slid 0.2 percent to 7,954.23. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks lost 0.2 percent to 1,715.70.
US-CHINA RELATIONS: According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials recently proposed a new round of trade negotiations with China. That would give the Chinese government another chance to address U.S. concerns before the Trump administration imposes bigger tariffs on goods imported from China, the report said. The two countries have already placed new taxes on $50 billion in imports, and the U.S. is threatening higher tariffs on $200 billion in goods and possibly more. China has vowed to retaliate and has put off accepting license applications from American companies hoping to operate in the country. It has also requested to be allowed to impose sanctions against the United States for failing to abide by a World Trade Organization ruling on anti-dumping measures. The case centers on U.S. trade limits on Chinese products that the U.S. says are sold below market value.
ANALYST’S TAKE: “The shifting of the balance of trade negotiations away from the U.S. and towards the rest of the world and particularly China is starting to pull up markets,” Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney, said in an interview.
NEW iPHONE: Apple unveiled new iPhones with larger screens on Wednesday. The company also said new Apple Watches will have larger screens and new health-monitoring features. Its stocks, which tend to trade lower on the days it announces new products, fell 1.2 percent to $221.07 on Wednesday. Apple is up 31 percent in 2018.
Advertisement
ENERGY: Oil prices eased after extending gains on the Energy Information Administration’s announcement that U.S. crude stockpiles fell by more than 5 million barrels last week. Benchmark U.S. crude, which had reached its highest price in two months on Wednesday, dropped 46 cents to $69.91 a barrel. The contract climbed 1.6 percent to settle at $70.37 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 41 cents to $79.33 a barrel. It added 0.9 percent to $79.74 a barrel in London.
CURRENCIES: The dollar strengthened to 111.42 yen from 111.22 yen. The euro fell to $1.1624 from $1.1632.
