Stocks in the Asia Pacific were trading mixed on Thursday following overnight losses on Wall Street as traders braced for key inflation data.
The Nikkei 225 was trading 0.39% lower at 39056.05, and the S&P ASX 200 was trading 0.03% down at 7658.10 as of 7:27 a.m.
The US PCE index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, is scheduled for release later today, which will provide clues for the central bank’s monetary policy going ahead. The S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 rose by 0.17% and 0.55%, respectively, as of Wednesday.
Bitcoin extended gains after surging above $60,000 for the first time in more than two years on Wednesday.
Brent crude prices were trading above $83 a barrel, and WTI crude was above the $78 mark. The yield on the 10-year U.S. bond was trading at 4.27%.
The GIFT Nifty, an early indicator of the Nifty 50 Index’s performance in India, was down 24.5 points, or 0.11%, at 22,096 as of 8:14 a.m.
India’s benchmark equity indices closed over 1% lower on Wednesday as Reliance Industries Ltd. and bank stocks dragged the most.
The NSE Nifty 50 ended 247.20 points, or 1.11%, down at 21,951.15, and the S&P BSE Sensex closed 790.34 points, or 1.08%, lower at 72,304.88.
Overseas investors remained net sellers of Indian equities on Wednesday for the third consecutive session.
Foreign portfolio investors offloaded stocks worth Rs 1,879.2 crore; domestic institutional investors remained buyers and bought equities worth Rs 1,827.4 crore, the NSE data showed.
The Indian rupee weakened by 3 paise to close at 82.93 against the U.S. dollar.