SINGAPORE — Stocks in Asia-Pacific looked set for a mixed start on Monday as investors continue to monitor the Covid situation regionally.
Futures pointed to a higher open for Japanese stocks. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 28,495 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 28,510. That compared against the Nikkei 225's last close at 27,940.42.
Shares in Australia were poised for an opening dip. The SPI futures contract was at 7,262, against the S&P/ASX 200's last close at 7,273.30.
In economic news, China's central bank announced Friday a 50 basis points cut in its reserve requirement ratio for all banks, effective from July.
Covid in Asia-Pacific
Investors will continue to watch the coronavirus situation in Asia-Pacific on Monday.
Japan's government is set to put Tokyo under a new Covid state of emergency on Monday while stricter social distancing restrictions are set to kick in for the greater Seoul area in South Korea, according to local media reports.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, several countries including Indonesia and Malaysia continue to struggle with a recent surge in infections, according to Reuters.
Currencies
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 92.153 after a recent slide from above 92.4.
The Japanese yen traded at 110.19 per dollar, weaker than levels seen below 110 against the greenback last week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7488, still below levels above $0.755 seen last week.