Investing.com – Asian shares fell on Monday on a weaker dollar and a weak Chinese PMI data, which tracks sales, employment, inventories and prices of 400 private services sector companies.
The Chinese HSBC PMI, released earlier on Monday was down to 50.9 in comparison to previous 52.5. This might have been responsible for weaker dollar that traded down 0.42% against the Japanese Yen at 104.41 in the Asian trading.
The Nikkei 225 fell 2.06% in the morning trading, while the Hang Seng index fell 0.74% and the Shanghai Composite index fell 1.93%.
Earlier, U.S. stocks ended Friday mixed as investors applauding a cautiously optimistic speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offset those jumping to the sidelines to await fourth-quarter earnings and gross domestic product figures.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.17%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.03%, while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.27%.
Outgoing Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday that the country continues to recover, which boosted stocks on expectations for the fundamental economy to improve while the Federal Reserve continues to keep policy loose.
"The combination of financial healing, greater balance in the housing market, less fiscal restraint, and, of course, continued monetary policy accommodation bodes well for U.S. economic growth in coming quarters. But, of course, if the experience of the past few years teaches us anything, it is that we should be cautious in our forecasts," Bernanke said, adding any decision to scale down the Fed's USD75 billion in monthly asset purchases shouldn't be interpreted as a sign tighter policy is down the road.
Stimulus tools such as the Fed's USD75 billion in monthly asset purchases spur recovery by driving down interest rates, boosting stock prices in the process.
"It is important to recognize that the potential signaling aspect of asset purchases depends on the broader economic and policy context. In particular, the [Fed's] decision to modestly reduce the pace of asset purchases at its December meeting did not indicate any diminution of its commitment to maintain a highly accommodative monetary policy for as long as needed," Bernanke said in prepared remarks of a speech he gave on Friday.
Many investors were eager to see how fourth-quarter GDP rates come in as well as the December jobs report, and the uncertainty ahead of time watered down stock prices by steering investors to safe-haven dollar positions on the sidelines.
The Chinese HSBC PMI, released earlier on Monday was down to 50.9 in comparison to previous 52.5. This might have been responsible for weaker dollar that traded down 0.42% against the Japanese Yen at 104.41 in the Asian trading.
The Nikkei 225 fell 2.06% in the morning trading, while the Hang Seng index fell 0.74% and the Shanghai Composite index fell 1.93%.
Earlier, U.S. stocks ended Friday mixed as investors applauding a cautiously optimistic speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offset those jumping to the sidelines to await fourth-quarter earnings and gross domestic product figures.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.17%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.03%, while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.27%.
Outgoing Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday that the country continues to recover, which boosted stocks on expectations for the fundamental economy to improve while the Federal Reserve continues to keep policy loose.
"The combination of financial healing, greater balance in the housing market, less fiscal restraint, and, of course, continued monetary policy accommodation bodes well for U.S. economic growth in coming quarters. But, of course, if the experience of the past few years teaches us anything, it is that we should be cautious in our forecasts," Bernanke said, adding any decision to scale down the Fed's USD75 billion in monthly asset purchases shouldn't be interpreted as a sign tighter policy is down the road.
Stimulus tools such as the Fed's USD75 billion in monthly asset purchases spur recovery by driving down interest rates, boosting stock prices in the process.
"It is important to recognize that the potential signaling aspect of asset purchases depends on the broader economic and policy context. In particular, the [Fed's] decision to modestly reduce the pace of asset purchases at its December meeting did not indicate any diminution of its commitment to maintain a highly accommodative monetary policy for as long as needed," Bernanke said in prepared remarks of a speech he gave on Friday.
Many investors were eager to see how fourth-quarter GDP rates come in as well as the December jobs report, and the uncertainty ahead of time watered down stock prices by steering investors to safe-haven dollar positions on the sidelines.