SINGAPORE – Shares in Australia and Japan battled gains on Friday, where trading is expected to fall as many markets in the region are closed for the start of the Lunar New Year holiday.
In Australia, the ASX 200 benchmark fell 0.21% as financial, energy and material sub-indices struggled for gains.
The so-called Big Four banks in the country traded mixed. ANZ shares reversed previous losses to trade up 0.12%, Commonwealth Bank shares wiped out losses to rise 0.34%, Westpac traded lower by 0.13%, and the National Bank of Australia lost 0.12%.
The Japanese market resumed trading after it was closed on Thursday for a public holiday. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.22%, while the Topix index fell fractionally.
Coins and oil
In the foreign exchange market, the US dollar traded almost flat against a basket of his colleagues. The dollar index was last at 90.417, a touch higher than its previous close at 90.371.
The Japanese yen traded at 104.74 per dollar, on par with its last close at 104.72, while the Australian dollar traded almost flat at $ 0.7753.
Oil prices fell in the overnight session, in which OPEC and the International Energy Agency warned that the recovery in demand would be hampered by renewed coronavirus-related blockages.
The global Brent benchmark index fell 0.5% to $ 61.14 a barrel, while US crude oil fell 0.8% to $ 58.24.
Reuters reported OPEC said global oil demand in 2021 will return slower than expected, while the IEA said global oil supply is still outstripping demand, but Covid-19 vaccines should help boost demand.