Asian shares started cautiously on Monday as central bank largesse globally boosted sentiment but rising trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies dulled risk appetite.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.1% with South Korea, Australia and New Zealand all starting higher.
Japan’s Nikkei jumped 1.5% after the Nikkei newspaper reported the country was considering a fresh stimulus package worth over $929 billion that will consist mostly of financial aid programmes for companies hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Analysts expect trading to be subdued with US and UK markets shut for public holidays. ♦
