Delhi, 29 April (H.S.): Asian stock markets were mostly higher on Tuesday, buoyed by positive sentiment following mixed signals from Wall Street. Traders are optimistic regarding trade negotiations, particularly with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggesting a potential agreement on significant trade deals. The Australian stock market reflected this optimism, trading significantly higher and continuing its upward trend from previous sessions. The S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 54.20 points, or 0.68%, reaching 8,051.30, and the All Ordinaries Index rose by 60.50 points, or 0.74%, to 8,264.40. Major miners like BHP Group and Rio Tinto saw modest increases, while Fortescue Metals and Mineral Resources experienced more substantial gains. Oil stocks are mostly up, with Origin Energy and Beach Energy advancing by nearly 1% and 3%, respectively. In the tech sector, Afterpay’s owner Block and Xero climbed nearly 1%, along with Appen and Zip. Gold miners displayed mixed performance, with Evolution Mining and Gold Road Resources declining, while Newmont edged up. Traders remain cautious, anticipating key earnings and economic updates, including the US monthly jobs report and inflation data.
Among the major Australian banks, Westpac is up nearly 1 percent, while Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank see gains between 0.3 to 0.4 percent. Conversely, ANZ Banking has decreased by 0.2 percent. The Australian dollar trades at $0.644, while the U.S. dollar is in the lower 142 yen-range. Japan’s stock market is closed for Showa Day, with shares having slightly risen on Monday.
In Asia, stock markets in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia have increased by 0.1 to 0.7 percent, while New Zealand is down by 0.2 percent.
On Wall Street, fluctuations marked Monday’s trading, reflecting ongoing volatility. After an indecisive start, stocks faced downward pressure but rallied towards the day’s close. The Nasdaq decreased by 16.81 points (0.1 percent), while the S&P 500 inched up 3.54 points (0.1 percent), and the Dow rose 114.09 points (0.3 percent).
In Europe, major markets were positive, with the French CAC 40 climbing 0.5 percent, the German DAX up 0.1 percent, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 finishing marginally higher. Crude oil prices have dipped due to tariff concerns, with West Texas Intermediate crude down 1.82 percent to $61.87 per barrel.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
