Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday with strong buying of technology shares helping lift some benchmarks, while oil prices surged more than 1% after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela.
Trump’s move followed the seizure by U.S. forces last week of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region as his administration ramps up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. futures edged lower.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 shed 0.3% to 49.237.58 traders awaited a decision on an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan later in the week.
The government reported that the total value of machinery orders received by 280 manufacturers fell 6.8% in October from the month before, in line with other signs of weakening factory activity.
Chinese markets were marginally higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng picked up 0.2% to 25.291.44. while the Shanghai Composite index was up nearly 0.2%, at 3.831.43.
In South Korea, the Kospi advanced 0.7% to 4.028.93. lifted by computer chip maker SK Hynix, which gained 2.8%, and a 3.6% jump for Samsung Electronics.
Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday with strong buying of technology shares helping lift some benchmarks, while oil prices surged more than 1% after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela.
Trump’s move followed the seizure by U.S. forces last week of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region as his administration ramps up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. futures edged lower.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 shed 0.3% to 49.237.58 traders awaited a decision on an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan later in the week.
The government reported that the total value of machinery orders received by 280 manufacturers fell 6.8% in October from the month before, in line with other signs of weakening factory activity.
Chinese markets were marginally higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng picked up 0.2% to 25.291.44. while the Shanghai Composite index was up nearly 0.2%, at 3.831.43.
In South Korea, the Kospi advanced 0.7% to 4.028.93. lifted by computer chip maker SK Hynix, which gained 2.8%, and a 3.6% jump for Samsung Electronics.
