SINGAPORE — Shares in Japan appeared set for a lower begin on Thursday regardless of positive factors in a single day on Wall Street that noticed a record close for each the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 28,845 whereas its counterpart in Osaka was at 28,810. That in contrast in opposition to the Nikkei 225’s final close at 28,906.88.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 ticked fractionally larger in morning commerce.
Wall Street record close
Overnight stateside, the S&P 500 gained 0.14% to 4,793.06 — its seventieth record close of 2021. The Dow Jones Industrial Average additionally closed at a record, rising 90.42 factors to 36,488.63. The Nasdaq Composite lagged, slipping 0.1% to about 15,766.22.
Those strikes got here as traders continued to evaluate the financial dangers from the omicron Covid variant that has contributed to a surge in infections in locations such because the U.S. and U.Ok.
The World Health Organization also warned Wednesday that new Covid variants may emerge through the pandemic which can be “absolutely proof against present vaccines or previous an infection.”
Currencies
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the buck in opposition to a basket of its friends, was at 95.885 following a latest drop from above 96.3.
The Japanese yen traded at 114.96 per greenback, nonetheless weaker than ranges under 114.8 seen in opposition to the buck earlier within the week, The Australian dollar was at $0.7251 after a latest rise from under $0.724.