Bangkok, Sept 16: Stocks were mostly lower in Asia on Thursday after Japan and China released data that were weaker than expected.
Shares fell in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul but rose in Sydney.
Japan reported that its exports rose 26.2 per cent in August from a year earlier, but that was well below forecasts for a rise of about 34.0 per cent, Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary.
Relative weakness in vehicle exports might reflect shortages of semiconductors and other components that have prompted some manufacturers to cut output, he noted.
China reported its retail sales grew an anemic 2.5 per cent in August, down from 8.5 per cent in July, while factory output slowed to 5.3 per cent from 6.4 per cent the month before.
It was the slowest growth in output since May 2020.
“Yesterday’s China data were a real shock,” RaboResearch Global Economics & Markets said in a report. “This is hardly what one calls a robust consumer recovery,” it said.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index dropped 0.6 per cent to 30,332.64 while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong declined 0.8 per cent to 24,825.58.
The Shanghai Composite index gave up 0.2 per cent to 3,649.88 and the Kospi in Seoul lost 0.5 per cent to 3,136.27.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.7 per cent to 7,468.20. Shares fell in Taiwan but rose in Singapore and Jakarta.
On Wednesday, energy and technology companies helped lift stocks on Wall Street broadly higher, reversing the market’s pullback from a day earlier.
The S&P 500 rose 0.8 per cent to 4,480.70 after another day of choppy trading. It was the biggest daily gain for the benchmark index since late August and it put the S&P 500 on pace to close the week higher.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7 per cent to 34,814.39. The Nasdaq composite added 0.8 per cent to 15,161.53.
Small-company stocks did even better, with the Russell 2000 index gaining 1.1 per cent, to 2,234.45.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury was steady at 1.30 per cent. Higher yields benefit banks, which can in turn charge more lucrative interest rates on loans. Citigroup rose 2.4 per cent and Capital One Financial gained 2.9 per cent.
Oil prices rose 3.1 per cent and natural gas prices rose 3.8 per cent as the oil and gas industry continues to sort through the damage caused by hurricane season in the Gulf. Disruptions have been more pronounced than originally expected, and there’s been some oil spills from some refineries.
ExxonMobil gained 3.4 per cent, while Occidental Petroleum climbed 6.1 per cent and Marathon Oil finished 7.7 per cent higher.
By midday Thursday, benchmark US crude oil was up 20 cents more, at USD 72.81 per barrel. Brent crude, the standard for international pricing, gained 21 cents to USD 75.67 per barrel.
Casino stocks slumped following reports of a possible crackdown on the industry by Chinese officials in Macau, the former Portuguese colony and gambling center.
Wynn Resorts fell 6.3 per cent for the biggest drop in the S&P 500, while MGM Resorts fell 2.5 per cent and Las Vegas Sands slid 1.7 per cent.
Wall Street will get get more information on jobs and consumer spending on Thursday when the Labor Department releases its weekly report on unemployment benefits and the Commerce Department releases retail sales data for August.
In currency trading, the dollar slipped to 109.26 Japanese yen from 109.38 yen late Wednesday. The euro rose to USD 1.1821 from USD 1.1817. (AGENICES)
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