Australian S&P/ASX 200 shares dipped 0.12per cent in early trading. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures lost 0.16per cent, while Japan's Nikkei 225 futures added just 0.22per cent."Sentiment sagged overnight, amid rising Covid cases, warnings from Fed Chair Powell, and further setbacks in US stimulus talks," Westpac strategists for New Zealand and Australia wrote in a note Friday.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Thursday during a discussion with other central bankers that progress in developing a coronavirus vaccine was welcome news but that near-term economic risks remain as infections accelerate, underscoring the likely need for additional government stimulus.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 317.46 points, or 1.08per cent, to 29,080.17 and the S&P 500 lost 35.65 points, or 1.00per cent, to 3,537.01. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite fared slightly better, dropping 76.84 points, or 0.65per cent, to 11,709.59. U.S. Treasury yields also sank on Thursday, weighed down by the persistent rise in coronavirus cases and data showing inflation remained benign in the world's largest economy. The U.S. yield curve, viewed in part as a gauge of risk appetite, also flattened.The U.S. dollar held steady on Thursday as investors were cautious over expectations about a COVID-19 vaccine.
真的！