SINGAPORE – Shares in Australia fell in trading Thursday morning as multiple Asia-Pacific markets are expected to close early on New Year’s Eve.
The S & P / ASX 200 is down about 0.5% in Thursday trading.
Markets in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong will close earlier than usual on Thursday due to New Year’s Eve.
Markets in Japan and South Korea are closed on Thursday for a public holiday.
As for the coronavirus, the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca received emergency approval in the UK on Wednesday. the virus is spreading all over the country.
Overnight on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 73.89 points and closed at 30,409.56. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to close its trading day at 3,732.04, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.2% to close at 12,870. Wednesday’s moves marked the fourth positive session in five for both the Dow and S&P 500.
Currencies
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 89,612 after a recent drop from levels above 90.
The Japanese yen was trading at 103.13 per dollar after gaining against the dollar above 103.8 earlier this week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $ 0.77 after a rise from levels below $ 0.76 seen earlier in the trading week.