SINGAPORE – Shares in Australia fell in trading on Thursday morning as more Asia-Pacific markets close early for New Year’s Eve.
The S & P / ASX 200 fell about 0.5% in Thursday’s trading.
Markets in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong are due to close earlier than usual on Thursday due to New Year’s Eve.
Markets in Japan and South Korea are closed on Thursday for a holiday.
As for the coronavirus, the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca received authorization on Wednesday for emergency use in the UK. However, the British government on Wednesday highlighted plans to impose stricter restrictions on coronavirus on millions of people across England as a new strain of the virus spreads across the country.
Overnight on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 73.89 points to 30,409.56. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to end its trading day at 3,732.04, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.2% to 12,870. Wednesday’s moves marked the fourth positive session in five for both the Dow and the S&P 500.
currencies
The US dollar index, which tracks the dollar against a basket of its colleagues, was at 89,612 after a recent decline from levels above 90.
The Japanese yen traded at 103.13 dollars, after consolidating from levels above 103.8 against the green dollar earlier this week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $ 0.77, following a rise in levels below $ 0.76, seen earlier in the trading week.