TOKYO: Asian markets slipped on Monday as weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs figures dented sentiment. Investors were also keeping an eye on President Donald Trump’s visit to Asia, where he is expected to discuss North Korean nuclear issues with leaders in the region.
KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s Nikkei 225 was flat at 22,541.55, while South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.9 percent to 2,536.27. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slumped 1.4 percent to 28,214.79 and the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.3 percent to 3,361.21. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.2 percent to 5,948.40. Stocks in Southeast Asia were mixed.
TRUMP IN TOKYO: Trump is on his first presidential visit to Asia this week with Japan as his first stop. In his remarks to business leaders in Japan’s capital, Trump emphasized that the U.S. has massive trade deficits with Japan and that he hopes to turn that around. He also said his decision to pull the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal will prove “to be right.” Trump is due to visit South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines in coming days. While denuclearizing North Korea is to top his agenda during the visits, trade and business issues will also be discussed.
U.S. JOBS: On Friday, U.S. employers added fewer-than-expected 261,000 jobs in October, and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1 percent, its lowest level in nearly 17 years. But wage growth was also weaker than economists forecast. Average hourly earnings were up 2.4 percent from a year earlier, a slowdown from September’s 2.8 percent rate. Analysts said the below-expectations jobs figures did not dent expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike in December.
WALL STREET: U.S. stocks finished higher on Friday driven by technology stocks. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 0.3 percent to 2,587.84. The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 0.1 percent to 23,539.19 and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7 percent to 6,764.44.
OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 11 cents to $55.75 per barrel in electronic trading on New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract jumped $1.10 to settle at $55.64 per barrel on Friday, its highest settlement price since July 2015. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 20 cents to $62.27 per barrel. On Friday, it rose $1.45 to $62.07 per barrel.
CURRENCIES: The U.S. dollar strengthened to 114.36 Japanese yen from 114.05 yen while the euro rose to $1.1615 from $1.1609.
