Asian Markets Mixed Amid Uncertainty Over Direction of Global Economy

People walk past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index in Hong Kong, Feb. 22, 2021.

Asian markets were mixed Monday as investors appear to be impatient with the slow introduction of new COVID-19 vaccines and the slow pace of economic stimulus legislation in the U.S.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei and Taiwan’s TSEC index both closed up 0.4%

Australia’s S&P/ASX index dropped 0.1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell just over one percent. Shanghai’s Composite index plunged 1.4% and South Korea’s KOSPI lost 0.9%.

In late afternoon trading, Mumbai’s Sensex is 1.8% lower.

In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,793.00, up 0.8%. U.S. crude oil is selling at $59.71 per barrel, up 0.7%, and Brent crude is selling at $63.49, up 0.9%.

All three U.S. indices are trending negatively in futures trading.