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SINGAPORE — Shares in Asia-Pacific fell in Monday morning trade as investors monitor developments surrounding the recently discovered omicron Covid variant.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 declined 1.17% in early trade while the Topix index shed 1.35%. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 1.37%.
Shares in Australia slipped in morning trade as the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.69%.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan traded 0.29% lower.
Oil prices surge more than 3%
Oil prices were higher in the morning of Asia trading hours.
International benchmark Brent crude futures were up 3.84% to $75.51 per barrel. U.S. crude futures gained 4.65% to $71.32 per barrel. On Friday, oil saw its worst day of 2021 amid renewed Covid fears.
Spot gold traded at $1,791.31 per ounce, having declined from above $1,800 late last week.
The Japanese yen, widely seen as a safe-haven currency, traded at 113.74 per dollar after strengthening sharply late last week from above 114.8 against the greenback.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 96.212 after a recent drop from above 96.4.
The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.714, having dropped last week from above $0.725.
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