Asian markets open for trading on Tuesday ended mixed with the markets in Australia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan ending in negative territory, while the markets in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Singapore ended in positive territory with modest gains. The traders exercised caution awaiting more cues on global economic recovery after fewer than expected job losses in the US eased fears of double dip recession. The strengthening of the Japanese yen against the US dollar worried investors while sharp drop in crude oil prices also impacted market sentiment.
In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index fell 75.32 points, or 0.8%, to 9226 while the broader Topix Index of first section issues slid 3.79 points, or 0.5%, to 835.
In economic news, the Bank of Japan maintained its key interest rate at near-zero at the end of its two-day policy meeting. In a unanimous vote, the policy board of the central bank, led by Governor Masaaki Shirakawa decided to leave the uncollateralized overnight call rate unchanged at 0.10%.
As many as 28 sectors of the total 33 sectors in the market ended in negative territory on stronger local currency against the US dollar and sluggish trading across the markets in the region.
Steelmakers were the gainers in the market bucking the weak trend among other sectors. JFE Holdings gained 2.43% and Nippon Steel rose 2.41%.
Exporters and machinery stocks declined on stronger yen.
In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 Index slipped 2.30 points, or 0.05%, and closed at 4,573 points, while the All-Ordinaries Index ended at 4,613, representing a loss of 2.70 points, or 0.06%.
On the economic front, the Reserve Bank of Australia decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.5%, in line with expectations. The central bank broadly retained its economic assessment, saying the Australian economy had been growing at around trend pace, boosted by commodity exports and strong investment. The apex bank noted that the the headline CPI will likely remain just above the 3% target ceiling through mid-2011 due to the impact of tobacco tax changes.
Light sweet crude oil futures for October delivery ended at $73.69 a barrel in electronic trading, down $0.91 per barrel from previous close at $74.60 a barrel in New York on Friday.
Banks ended in positive territory following the decision of the apex bank to stay pat on the interest rates. ANZ Bank added 0.42%, Commonwealth Bank of Australia advanced 0.44%, National Australia Bank rose 0.49% and Westpac Banking climbed 1.10%. However, investment banking company Macquarie Group bucked the trend and ended in negative territory with a loss of 2.21%.
Mining and metal stocks ended in negative territory. BHP Billiton slipped 0.29%, Rio Tinto lost 0.87%, Fortescue Metals shed 0.20%, Gindalbie Metals lost 1.60%, Iluka Resources fell 0.82%, Macarthur Coal was down 1.88%, Mincor Resources declined 1.90% and Oz Minerals decreased by 1.85%.
Mixed trading was witnessed among oil related stocks on weak crude oil prices. Woodside Petroleum slipped 0.18%, ROC Oil Ltd lost 2.60%, Oil Search Ltd shed 0.50% and Origin Energy edged down 0.06%. However, Santos Ltd bucked the trend and ended in positive territory with a gain of 0.39%.
The Indian market ended Tuesday's choppy session modestly higher, shrugging off weak global cues. Capital goods, IT and metal stocks led the gainers, while realty, healthcare, banking and auto stocks came under selling pressure, limiting the upside. The 30-share BSE Sensex ended off the day's high at 18,645, up about 85 points or half a percent, while the broader Nifty rose by 27 points or 0.5% to 5,604.
Among the other major markets open for trading, China's Shanghai Composite Index added 2.11 points, or 0.08%, to 2,698, Singapore's Strait Times Index advanced 1.51 points, or 0.05%, to 3,036, and Jakarta Composite Index in Indonesia gained 13.74 points, or 0.43%, to 3,231. However, Taiwan's Weighted Index bucked the trend and ended in negative territory with a loss of 6.55 points, or 0.08%, to 7,884.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.