Asian markets slipped on Monday as weaker-than-expected US jobs figures dented sentiment. Investors were also keeping an eye on President Donald Trump’s visit to Asia.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was flat at 22,541.55, while South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.9 per cent to 2,536.27. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slumped 1.4 per cent to 28,214.79.
The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.3 per cent to 3,361.21. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.2 per cent to 5,948.40. Stocks in Southeast Asia were mixed.
US stocks finished higher on Friday driven by technology stocks. The S&P 500 rose 0.3 per cent to 2,587.84. The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 0.1 per cent to 23,539.19.
The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7 per cent to 6,764.44, according to AP.
Benchmark US 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.
Brent crude, the international standard, gained 20 cents to $62.27 per barrel. On Friday, it rose $1.45 to $62.07 per barrel.
The US dollar strengthened to 114.36 Japanese yen from 114.05 yen while the euro rose to $1.1615 from $1.1609.