Market Drivers – Asian Session 19-10-2021

Japan’s Nikkei index closed higher on Tuesday, boosted by technology heavyweights that tracked the Nasdaq’s gains, even as worries spread ahead of the country’s corporate earnings season that begins next week. The Nikkei index closed up 0.65 percent to 29,215.52 points, and the broader Topix index rose 0.36 percent to 2026.57 points, after falling briefly earlier in the session.

On Monday night, the Nasdaq and Standard & Poor’s 500 indexes closed higher amid gains for large US technology stocks and other growth stocks, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined.

Gold prices rose on Tuesday as the dollar and US Treasury yields fell, which provided some support to the precious metal despite the trend of central banks to ease economic stimulus measures. Gold spot trading rose 0.7 percent to $ 1776.03 an ounce by 0620 GMT. US gold futures rose 0.7 percent to $1,778.20 an ounce.

Data released from Switzerland today showed that the Swiss trade surplus narrowed slightly with exports growing 8.9% m-o-m while imports rose 12.3% in September.

The United States Department of the Treasury has issued a review on sanctions and suggested the government do more to develop its infrastructure and policies in regards to digital assets.