Asian shares fall, dollar firms ahead of central bank rate hikes
- https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
- Japan’s Nikkei 0.3% lower; Australian shares slide 0.5%
- Dollar drifts higher; U.S. futures fall
- U.S. yields steady after gaining; oil prices rise
SYDNEY, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Asian shares fell on Monday while the dollar drifted higher at the start of a hectic week, as markets awaited a flurry of rate decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and others.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) slid 1%, after rising 1.3% the previous week, buoyed by optimism that China is finally opening up its economy with the dismantling of its zero-COVID policy.
Japan’s Nikkei (.N225) eased 0.3%. The S&P 500 futures dipped 0.2% and Nasdaq futures dropped 0.3%.
In China, blue-chip shares (.CSI300) were 0.5% lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index (.HSI) was down 1%, as investors focused on a rapid wave of COVID-19 infection disrupting the economy.
On Friday, Wall Street…
