SINGAPORE — Stocks in Japan were set for a higher open on Wednesday. Meanwhile, China is set to release its data on manufacturing activity in the morning.
Futures overall indicated a mixed open for Asian markets. They pointed to a higher open for Japanese stocks, while over in Australia, markets were set for a lower open.
China’s official manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) is expected to ease in June — hit by a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the major export province of Guangdong, according to a Reuters poll of economists this week.
Over on Wall Street, stocks were little changed in light trading although the S&P 500 did notch its 4th straight positive session and an all-time high. The Dow rose 9 points, or less than 1%. The S&P 500 ended the day 0.03% higher and the Nasdaq Composite ended the day up 0.2%
Currencies
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 92.079 — jumping above levels above 91.7 seen earlier this week.
The Japanese yen traded at 110.54 per dollar, stronger than levels above 110.8 seen earlier in the week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7511, down from levels around 0.758 seen earlier this week.
