Back in Asia, futures implied a mostly unchanged open for equities in Japan. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago were off 0.06 percent 19440 while Osaka futures were higher by 0.09 percent at 19,470. The Nikkei 225 last closed at 19,452.61.
Down Under, SPI futures were down 0.49 percent at 5,716 compared to the benchmark index’s previous close of 5,743.861.
Philippine markets are closed for a public holiday.
Stateside, equities closed mostly higher on Friday on renewed investor expectations for proposed tax reforms. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.14 percent, or 30.27 points, to close at 21,813.67 and the S&P 500 tacked on 0.17 percent, or 4.08 points, to end at 2,443.05. The tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped 0.09 percent, or 5.68 points, to finish the session at 6,265.64.
Energy markets are expected to digest the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Shell and Petrobras are among the companies that have closed their refineries in the Houston area due to “severe weather,” including heavy rainfall and flooding.
Oil had gained around 0.9 percent on Friday ahead of Harvey making landfall. Brent crude settled higher by 37 cents at $52.41 a barrel and U.S. crude settled up 44 cents at $47.87.
Little is expected on the economic calendar on Monday (all times in HK/SIN):
- 10:00 a.m.: Vietnam August retail sales and trade data