BEIJING — Asian stock markets rose Monday after President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion economic aid package, helping to reduce uncertainty as governments re-impose travel and business curbs in response to a new coronavirus variant.
Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong mostly gained as traders returned to work following a three-day Christmas weekend.
Trump signed the measure, which also includes money for other government functions through September, despite expressing frustration that $600 payments to the public weren’t bigger. His signature following last-minute objections helped to clear away uncertainty as reinstated travel and business curbs threaten to weigh on global economic activity.
“The stimulus balloon will allow the markets to navigate better the number of new air pockets showing up on the radar due to the virus’s latest variant,” said Stephen Innes of Axi in a report.
The Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP,
In Seoul, the Kospi 180721,
On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index SPX,
Investors have been encouraged by the development of coronavirus vaccines but that optimism has been dented by the discovery of the new, more contagious variant.
On Monday, South Korea reported its first cases of the new variant in three people who arrived from Britain. Over the weekend, Japan also reported cases and re-imposed limits on entry into the country by non-resident foreigners. It also said both Japanese and foreign residents would be required to show coronavirus test results on arrival and to observe quarantines.
In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude CLG21,
The dollar USDJPY,
