Back in Asia, futures suggested a slightly higher open for equities in Japan. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago were up 0.25 percent at 19,595 and Osaka futures edged up 0.07 percent to 19,560 by 6:15 a.m. HK/SIN. Those compared to the Nikkei 225’s last close of 19,545.77.
Down Under, SPI futures were 0.4 percent higher at 5,736 compared to the benchmark index’s previous close of 5,713.149.
On the energy front, U.S. crude jumped 1.2 percent to settle at $48.07 a barrel on Monday. Brent crude futures rose a modest 0.1 percent to settle at $53.84 a barrel. The spike in oil prices overnight came as refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast began to resume operations after a shutdown due to Hurricane Harvey, Reuters reported.
Here’s the economic calendar for today (all times HK/SIN):
- 9:30 a.m.: Australia NAB business confidence index
- 1:00 p.m.: Singapore July retail sales
- 8:00 p.m. India August CPI