Asian shares decline amid trade uncertainty


FE Team | Published: May 15, 2018 10:45:05 | Updated: May 16, 2018 16:16:35


File Photo (AP)

Asian shares were mostly lower in muted trading on Tuesday amid continuing uncertainty over trade tensions between China and the US.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 is basically flat at 22,862.79 after morning trading. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.3 per cent to 6,116.00.

South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.6 per cent at 2,460.62. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 0.9 per cent to 31,250.22, while the Shanghai Composite edged down 0.2 per cent to 3,167.09, reports AP.

The S&P 500 index added 2.41 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 2,730.13 on Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 68.24 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 24,899.41.

The Nasdaq composite rose 8.43 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 7,411.32. Small-company stocks fell. The Russell 2000 index lost its early gains, sliding 6.45 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 1,600.34.

Benchmark US crude oil inched up 1 cent to $70.97 a barrel. It rose 26 cents to $70.96 a barrel in New York Monday. Brent crude, used to price international oil, gained 2 cents to $78.25 a barrel in London.

The dollar rose to 109.71 yen from 109.53 yen late Monday. The euro weakened to $1.1935 from $1.1974.

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