By Shares in AsiaPacific declined in Tuesday trade following investor jitters overnight on Wall Street over a new coronavirus strain in the U.K. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 declined 0.64 while the Topix index fell 1.15. South Koreas Kospi dipped 0.56. Mainland Chinese stocks were mixed by the afternoon. The Shanghai composite shed 0.2 while the Shenzhen component climbed 0.162. Hong Kongs Hang Seng index sat fractionally lower. Over in Australia, the SPASX 200 fell 1.05. MSCIs broadest index of AsiaPacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.43.
Australias retail sales jumped 7 in November as compared with October on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to preliminary figures released by the countrys Bureau of Statistics. Following that data release, the Australian dollar changed hands at 0.7563, after dropping below 0.75 yesterday.
Developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic likely continued to weigh on investor sentiment, following the discovery of a new Covid strain in the U.K. that has prompted tighter lockdowns and travel restrictions across Europe.
Overnight on Wall Street, the SP 500 declined 0.4 to close at 3,694.92 while the Nasdaq Composite finished its trading day 0.1 lower at 12,742.52. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, on the other hand, gained 37.40 points to close at 30,216.45.
AsiaPacific stocks trade lower as new coronavirus strain in U.K. weighs on investor sentiment, CNBC, Dec 22
Australias retail sales jumped 7 in November as compared with October on…
