Asian Shares Mixed As Japan Reports Weaker Data

Asian shares were mixed Thursday, July 20, 2023, after Japan reported weaker-than-expected trade data for June, with imports falling nearly 13% from a year earlier, Yuri Kageyama reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Shares rose in Sydney and Hong Kong but fell in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Seoul. US futures slipped and oil prices were little changed.

Shares rose in Sydney and Hong Kong but fell in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Seoul. US futures slipped and oil prices were little changed. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 declined 1.2% to 32,490.52.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added less than 0.1% to 7,326.00. South Korea’s Kospi edged down 0.1% to 2,604.61. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was virtually flat at 18,954.78, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.7% to 3,175.81.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 4,565.72. It is now up nearly 19% for the year so far and at its highest level in more than 15 months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3% to 35,061.21 and the Nasdaq composite edged up less than 0.1%, to 14,358.02.

Japan logged a trade surplus in June for the first time in nearly two years as imports sank, largely due to lower oil prices. Exports rose only 1.5% from a year earlier despite sharp increases in shipments of vehicles.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic