SINGAPORE – Stocks in Asia-Pacific were mixed in Monday’s trading, while investors continue to monitor the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
South Korea’s Kospi led gains among the main markets in the region, advancing 1.27%. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.4%, while the Topix index rose 0.15%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose by about 1%. Mainland China shares, on the other hand, fell: the Shanghai compound fell slightly, while the Shenzhen component fell 0.293%.
In the midst of the pandemic, China has overtaken the United States as the world’s largest recipient of foreign direct investment, according to a report released on Sunday by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
China raised $ 163 billion in tickets last year, compared with $ 134 billion attracted to the United States, according to the report.
Australia’s shares rose, with the S & P / ASX 200 up 0.4%.
The broader MSCI Asia-Pacific equity index, excluding Japan, was traded 0.38% above.
Developments around Covid-19 should be watched by investors as the world races to adapt against the mutant coronavirus, which has produced a series of potentially more infectious variants.
In Hong Kong, the government on Monday lifted the blockade in an area of Kowloon district after about 7,000 people were tested for coronavirus, according to Reuters.
Globally, more than 99 million people have been infected with Covid-19 and at least 2,127,206 lives have been killed, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Coins and oil
The US dollar index, which tracks the US dollar against a basket of its peers, was at 90.24, after seeing a recent drop from levels above 90.6.
The Japanese yen traded at 103.86 per dollar, following levels below 103.5 against the dollar seen last week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $ 0.771, out of the levels above $ 0.776 seen last week.
Oil prices fell on the morning of trading in Asia, with international benchmark Brent oil futures falling 0.23% to $ 55.28 a barrel. American oil futures contracts fell 0.1% to $ 52.22 a barrel.
Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis and live weekday programming from around the world.