A pedestrian walks past an electronic quotation board displaying share prices from the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo July 31, 2020. — AFP pic
Japan's Nikkei index was steady and Asian currencies were on the march, with the Australian dollar gaining to around 72 U.S. cents, and the Korean won and Malaysian ringgit touching their strongest since March.“If it's got a pulse, people will buy it now,” said Rob Carnell, Asia-Pacific head of research at ING in Singapore.
Top congressional Democrats and White House officials appeared to harden their stances on the new coronavirus relief plan on Wednesday, with few hints of compromise or that an unemployment benefit as generous as US$600 a week could continue. The Nasdaq minted a new record peak and closing high while the S&P 500 was up 0.6 per cent and is less than 2 per cent below its record high hit in February.