KATHMANDU: Inoperable of the data hub of the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) has adversely affected the share transaction today. The server of the NEPSE, located at Thapathali run-down from the 1:42 pm, left the market dry.

Murahari Parajuli, Spokeperson of NEPSE, said that the dysfunctional server creel the market.  Narendra Sijapati, Chairman of Kalika Securities informed that the technical problems left no transaction today.

However, the server is now in functional and the transaction time has extended till 6 pm. On normal days, market closes at 3 pm.

TOKYO: Asian shares went up on Monday as Chinese markets rebounded on hopes of more policy support for the slowing economy, but surprisingly weak US employment data raised doubts about the strength of the global economy and limited gains.

European shares were seen soaring, with spread-betters expecting Britain’s FTSE to rise 0.7 percent, France’s CAC 0.6 percent and Germany’s DAX 0.5 percent. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4 percent, paring a quarter of Friday’s 1.6 percent fall, its second biggest decline so far this year.

Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.5 percent after four consecutive sessions in the red last week. China’s blue-chip CSI300 index gained 1.3 percent after Friday’s 4.0 percent fall, which was triggered after CITIC Securities issued a rare “sell” rating on a major insurer and by a clampdown on gray-market, margin financing.  “Trading volume is surging while foreign investors have been selling late last week,” said Naoki Tashiro, president of TS China Research, adding that suggests buying by retail investors is driving Chinese shares.

(Agencies)

TOKYO: Asia stocks were barely moved on Monday, staying near a four-month high after Wall Street’s tepid pre-weekend performance, while the dollar was supported against the yen following strong U.S. jobs and manufacturing data.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was basically unchanged, capped below the four-month peak scaled on Friday.

Japan’s Nikkei added 0.4 percent.

China’s financial markets are closed all week for the Lunar New Year holiday. Wall Street ended mixed on Friday, as optimism from a surge in January U.S. job growth was offset by a weaker-than-expected outlook from Amazon.com Inc that battered retail stocks.

The Dow nudged up 0.26 percent while the Nasdaq shed 0.25 percent. “Key points for the markets this week will be how the remaining U.S. corporate earnings releases turn out, and whether they are in line with recent upbeat data,” said Junichi Ishikawa, senior FX strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo.

“While corporate earnings and fundamentals remain key, political developments, notably the U.S.-China trade situation, remain potential risk factors,” he said. A U.S. Labor Department report on Friday showed nonfarm payrolls jumped by a stronger-than-forecast 304,000 jobs last month, the largest gain since February 2018.

That report, along with better-than-expected ISM manufacturing activity numbers for January, pointed to underlying strength in the world’s biggest economy. The robust economic data triggered a sharp rebound in U.S. Treasury yields, in turn lifting the dollar.

On Monday, the U.S. currency was a shade higher at 109.55 yen after advancing 0.6 percent on Friday. The euro was little changed at $1.1455 after getting pulled back from a high of $1.1488 on Friday. The Australian dollar was steady at $0.7250 after slipping 0.4 percent the previous session. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was at 2.691 percent after climbing nearly 6 basis points on Friday to pull away from a four-week low of 2.619 percent earlier last week.

U.S. crude oil futures inched down 0.04 percent to $55.24 per barrel after surging 2.7 percent on Friday. Nissan scraps plan to build new X-Trail model in Britain. Oil prices had rallied on the upbeat U.S. jobs report, signs that Washington’s sanctions on Venezuelan exports have helped tighten supply and data showing U.S. drillers cut the number of oil rigs.

(REUTERS)

SINGAPORE: Asian markets were lower on Tuesday after the U.S. Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against China’s Huawei, its subsidiaries and a top executive ahead of trade talks.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s Nikkei 225 index tumbled 1 percent to 20,448.47 and the Kospi in South Korea shed 0.4 percent to 2,169.42. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was 0.8 percent lower at 27,370.58. The Shanghai Composite index fell 1 percent to 2,572.39. Australia’s S&P ASX 200, reopening after a holiday, eased 0.6 percent to 5,870.80. Stocks fell in Taiwan and Singapore but rose in Indonesia.

WALL STREET: U.S. stocks fell Monday on signs that slowing Chinese growth was affecting corporate America. Caterpillar, considered an economic bellwether, reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter of 2018. The company said it expects the growth of construction equipment sales in China to be flat this year. Chipmaker Nvidia slashed its fourth-quarter revenue estimate, citing slowing demand in China among other reasons. The S&P 500 index lost 0.8 percent to 2,643.85. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.8 percent at 24,528.22 and the Nasdaq composite gave up 1.1 percent to 7,085.68. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks lost 0.6 percent to 1,473.54.

HUAWEI CHARGES: The U.S. criminal charges against Chinese tech giant Huawei allege that it violated U.S. sanctions by using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran. The company is also accused of stealing trade secrets, including technology behind a robotic device that T-Mobile used to test smartphones. Several of Huawei’s subsidiaries and its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou were to also face criminal charges. Meng was arrested while changing flights in Canada last month. China has demanded her release and warned of retaliation against American and Canadian executives.

US-CHINA TALKS: According to Bloomberg, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at a briefing Monday that President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in Washington. Negotiators from both countries are expected to sit down for two days of trade talks starting Wednesday. While a meeting with Trump may show that the U.S. is serious about striking a deal, charges against Huawei could cast a cloud over negotiations going forward.

ANALYST’S TAKE: Charges against Huawei “illustrate the risks attached to the U.S.-China relationship,” DBS Group Research strategists Philip Wee and Eugene Leow said in a commentary. “The actions by the DOJ show that it would not be enough for China to buy more U.S. goods. America wants China to make structural reforms especially on its intellectual property practices,” they added.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude added 20 cents to $52.19 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It dropped $1.70 to settle at $51.99 per barrel on Monday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 15 cents to $59.96 per barrel. It lost $1.78 to $59.81 per barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar was trading at 109.12 yen down from 109.35 yen late Monday. The euro strengthened to $1.1430 from $1.1428.

(AP)