Asian shares fall after Wall St gain as markets eye Ukraine

Asian stock markets declined Monday after Wall Street's biggest weekly gain in 16 months as investors watched efforts to negotiate an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Oil prices gained more than $3 per barrel. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney retreated. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday.

Wall Street’s S&P 500 index rose 1.2% on Friday after markets appeared to welcome the Federal Reserve’s attempt to fight surging inflation by raising its key interest rate. Investors watched efforts to mediate a settlement to Russia’s attack, which has pushed up oil prices and added to uncertainty about the global economic outlook.

“It appears that there is a 50-50 chance of continuing with the pick-up in market sentiments,” said Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in a report. The Shanghai Composite Index lost less than 0.1% to 3,248.87 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed less than 0.3% to 21,344.09.

The Kospi in Seoul lost 0.6% to 2,688.95 and Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 declined less than 0.1% to 7,291.80. India's Sensex opened down 0.4% at 57,621.80. New Zealand and Singapore gained while Jakarta and Bangkok retreated.

On Friday, the S&P rose to 4,463.12, adding to a streak that included two days of 2% gains. The Dow advanced 0.8% to 34,754.93 and the Nasdaq composite added 2% to 13,893.84. The three indexes had their best week since November 2020.

Russia’s attack has added to investor unease about the Fed and other central banks withdrawing stimulus that has pushed up share prices and tighter Chinese curbs on business and travel in response to coronavirus outbreaks.

Last week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell expressed confidence the economy is strong enough to withstand higher interest rates. On Sunday, Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said Ukraine and Russia are close to an agreement on “fundamental issues” after he traveled to both countries to meet his counterparts.

Cavusoglu said in return for its neutrality, Ukraine wants Turkey, Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to act as guarantors. Also Monday, Disney Co. closed its Shanghai theme park as the city tried to control its biggest coronavirus flareup in two years. The southern business center of Shenzhen allowed shops and offices to reopen after a weeklong closure.

China’s case numbers in its latest infection wave are low compared with other major countries, but authorities are enforcing a “zero tolerance” strategy that has suspended access to some major cities. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose $3.42 to $106.51 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the price basis for international oil trading, gained $3.38 to $111.31 per barrel in London. The dollar rose to 119.25 yen from Friday’s 119.13 yen. The euro retreated to $1.1042 from $1.1047.