Asian markets are once again proving resilient to the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, fraying diplomatic ties between the United States and China and the escalating social unrest in the U.S.
Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index finished Tuesday’s trading session 1.1% higher. Hong Kong is 0.7% higher in late afternoon trading, while Shanghai is up 0.2%. Sydney’s S&P/ASX is 0.3% higher, the KOSPI index in Seoul gained 1%, and Taiwan’s TSEC index is up 0.4%.
In oil futures trading, U.S. crude is selling at $35.69 per barrel, up 0.7%, while Brent crude, the international standard, is selling at $38.73 per barrel, up 1%.
In equities futures trading, the Dow Jones and S&P 500 are down, but basically unchanged, while the Nasdaq is up 0.2%.