Asia-Pacific markets traded with mixed results on Monday, as investors digested the conclusion of the United States-Russia summit, which ended without a ceasefire in Ukraine.
By 11:10 pm AEST (1:10 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1%, reaching fresh record territory. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.5%, while South Korea’s Kospi 200 declined 1%.
U.S. markets on Friday closed mixed near record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.1%, the S&P 500 fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.4%.
Among data releases, monthly retail sales came in at 0.5%, in line with expectations, while the preliminary Michigan consumer sentiment reading came in at 58.6, below expectations of 62 and down from the last month's reading of 61.7.
In commodities, Brent crude eased 1.5% to US$65.85 per barrel, while spot gold remained flat, finishing at $3,335.70 per ounce.
Chinese equities showed resilience, with the Shanghai Composite rising 0.8% to a four-year high, and the CSI 300 climbing 0.7% to 4,202.4.
Conversely, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1% to 25,270.1, while India’s BSE Sensex was closed for a public holiday.
European markets were similarly mixed. The FTSE 100 fell 0.4% to 9,138.9, Germany’s DAX eased 0.1% to 24,359.3, and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.7% to 7,923.5.
