Asian Markets Lower, Europe Mixed as Investors Await New US Coronavirus Relief Bill 

The continued stalemate in Washington over a new coronavirus relief package sent Asian markets mostly lower Wednesday. Tokyo’s Nikkei index ended the day’s trading session 0.4% higher.  The S&P/ASX index in Sydney dropped 0.1%.  Seoul’s KOSPI index is up 0.5%, and the TSEC index in Taipei is down 0.8%.   In late afternoon trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is up 1.1%, Shanghai’s Composite is down 0.6%, and Mumbai’s Sensex is down 0.1%.  European markets have begun the day in mixed territory.  The FTSE index in London is up 0.5% and the CAC-40 in Paris is up 0.1%, while the DAX in Frankfurt is down 0.1%.  In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,942.30 an ounce, down 0.2%.  U.S. crude oil is selling at $42.01 an ounce, up 0.9%, and Brent crude, the international benchmark, is selling at $44.94, also up 0.9%.   All three major U.S. indices are trending upward in futures trading.   

         

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