SINGAPORE – Japan’s stock rose in Monday afternoon trading as many of the main markets in Asia-Pacific are closed for public holidays.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.91% while the Topix index advanced 0.66%.
South Korea’s kospi hovered above the flat line. LG Electronics shares were up about 0.6%. The company announced Monday that it is closing its mobile business unit to focus resources on “growth areas”, such as electric vehicle components.
The broader MSCI index for Asia Pacific stocks outside Japan has changed little.
Markets in Australia, mainland China and Hong Kong are closed on Monday for public holidays.
US payroll exceeds expectations
In economic developments, the US Department of Labor reported on Friday that non-farm payrolls increased by 916,000 in March – well above the 675,000 increase expected by economists polled by Dow Jones.
The unemployment rate also dropped to 6%, in line with the expectations of economists consulted by Dow Jones.
Coins and oil
The US dollar index, which tracks the dollar against a basket of its peers, was at 92.942 – out of levels above 93.3 seen at the end of last month.
The yen traded at 110.57 per dollar, weaker than levels around 110.5 against the dollar seen last week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $ 0.7619, above levels below the $ 0.756 seen last week.
Oil prices fell on the afternoon of trading in Asia, with international benchmark Brent oil futures falling 0.99% to $ 64.22 a barrel. US oil futures contracts fell 0.91% to $ 60.89 a barrel.