SINGAPORE — Shares in Asia-Pacific were mixed in Wednesday morning trade as investors assessed the impact of the omicron Covid variant.
The Nikkei 225 in Japan slipped 0.11% in early trade while the Topix index also declined fractionally. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.71%.
Australian stocks, which returned to trade following holidays on Monday and Tuesday, rose as the S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.08%.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan traded 0.1% higher.
Investors in Asia-Pacific will continue monitoring developments surrounding the omicron variant. A study from South Africa found the immune response of people infected with the omicron Covid variant appears to increase protection against delta more than fourfold and could displace it.
Overnight stateside, the S&P 500 declined 0.1% to 4,786.35, falling from the record close it saw on Monday. The Nasdaq Composite also shed 0.56% to 15,781.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average outperformed, rising 95.83 points to 36,398.21.
Currencies
The Japanese yen traded at 114.77 per dollar, still weaker than levels below 114.5 seen against the greenback earlier this week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7231 following recent declines from above $0.725.
