The new trading week started awkwardly in Asian stock markets. While some markets have boldly soared, others have plunged into negative territory. Investors were estimating the outcome of the US Fed’s monetary policy meeting.
Of the main Asian stock markets, Tokyo’s was the most strong. The Nikkei index firmed 0.71 percent on Monday. It was driven up mainly by technology titles, which were riding the optimistic wave that arrived in Tokyo from Wall Street. Investors also took into account the upcoming meetings of several major world central banks, led by the US Fed.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange also went up. The country’s main index added 0.4 percent, rising by more than half a percent during the day. Infrastructure companies were the driving force of the Shanghai Stock Exchange after Chinese government officials issued a statement saying the government would prefer to restore economic stability next year. Investors are hoping that the Chinese government will support economic growth with fiscal stimulus.
On the other hand, the Seoul and Hong Kong stock exchanges headed into the red. Seoul’s KOSPI index lost 0.28 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell slightly less, down 0.17 percent.
