Asian markets are mostly higher Tuesday amid newfound optimism about a potentially safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
The Nikkei index in Tokyo closed 0.4% higher. Sydney’s S&P/ASX index ended up 0.2%, while Taipei’s TSEC index gained 0.3%.
Seoul’s KOSPI index was 0.1% lower.
In late afternoon trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is up nearly 20 points, but unchanged percentage-wise, while Shanghai’s Composite index is down 0.2% and Mumbai’s Sensex is 0.4% higher.
U.S.-based Moderna announced Monday that late-stage clinical trials of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine revealed the drug was more than 90% effective.
In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,887.50, down 0.3 points but unchanged percentage-wise. U.S. crude oil is up 0.1%, selling at $41.42 per barrel, and Brent crude is selling at $43.99 per barrel, up 0.3%.
U.S. indices are mixed in futures trading, with the Dow and the S&P 500 trading negatively, while the Nasdaq is slightly higher.
