—— The Nikkei in Tokyo closed lower as the number of people infected with COVID increases. The biggest losers were Inpex Corp.-10.05%, Chiyoda Corp.-8.62%, and Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc.-7.87%. The big gainers were Eisai+5.87%, Sumitomo Osaka Cement+3.17%, and Ajinomoto Co., Inc.+2.75%.
The Nikkei index closed at 26,107.65, down 315.82, or -1.2%.
—– The Australian S&P/ASX 200 closed negative as the impact of the interest rate hike weighed on the market. The biggest losers were St Barbara-9.50%, Westgold Resources-9.30%, and Champion Iron Ltd-8.65%. Megaport Ltd+14.03%, Zip+12.75%, and EML Payments+10.51% were the biggest gainers.
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed at 6,594.50 points, down 34.80 points, or -0.52%.
The All Ordinaries Index closed at 6,784.30 points, down 33.80 points or -0.50%.
—– South Korean composite fell to a 20-month low after data from Europe coincided with high oil prices. The biggest losers were LS Corp-14.49%, SK IE Technology Co-14.35%, and LS Electric-12.35%. The biggest gainers were Yg Plus Inc+16.23%, Hyundai Pharm+12.89%, and KidariStudio Inc+11.75%.
The Composite Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,292.01 points, down 49.77 points, or -2.13%.
—– China’s Shanghai Composite closed in the red as investors are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and China may introduce a new round of lockdown measures to contain the epidemic. The biggest losers were ANHUI HOHGYU WUZHOU Medical(-13.89%), Shenyang Xiangqi Pharma(-12.08%,) and Dingdong Culture(-10.05%). Qingdao Kutesmart(+20.04%), Primarius Tech(+19.99%), and Jiangsu Beiren Robot System Co(+19.98%) were the biggest gainers.
The Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3,355.35, down 48.68, or -1.43%.
—– The Hang Seng in Hong Kong closed lower as investors worried about the recession in the US. The biggest losers were Palinda Holdings-40.66%, Green Future Food-32.56% and Renco Holdings Group Ltd-27.27%. The gainers were Christine Intl+41.28%, Huabao International Holdings+25.41% and Deyun+25%.
Hang Seng Index at 21,586.66 points, down 266.41 points or -1.22%.
—– Thai stock market closed slightly higher after falling in the morning, following the direction of other Asian stock markets. The biggest gainers were Matching Maxmice Solutions+29.76%, M Pictures Entertainment+29.41%, and KWI+29.17%. The biggest losers were Jasmine International-13.16%, NFC-10.53%, and Workpoint Entertainment-10.38%.
The SET closed at 1,541.79 points, up 0.49 points or +0.03%.