Nikkei Up Nearly 3% but Yen Slumps

The yen tumbled while Japanese stocks and government bonds rallied on Monday as the Bank of Japan lost no time embarking on its ambitious stimulus drive, but weak U.S. jobs data and regional risks such as North Korea weighed on other assets.

European markets were likely to inch higher, with financial spreadbetters predicting London’s FTSE 100, Paris’s CAC-40, and Frankfurt’s DAX to open as much as 0.5 percent higher.   U.S. stock futures were up 0.1 percent to suggest a firm Wall Street open.

The MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS fell as much as 0.5 percent to a four-month low before trimming some losses to fall 0.3 percent.   Shanghai shares led the decline, after falling sharply to a 3-1/2-month low earlier as bird flu worries hit tourism-related sectors and the property sector lost ground on more sales curbs.

Reuters

This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.