Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mixed Thursday, after Wall Street gained on strong bank earnings in a volatile trading session.
Investors have been on edge in recent days as global trade tensions have escalated. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), known to many as Wall Street’s fear gauge, has trended higher over the past week, rising last Friday to more than 21.6, or its most elevated level since late May. The index finished at 20.6 on Wednesday stateside.
Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 rose 0.16%. Investors will look to the country’s jobs data for September, due out later in the day. Economists polled by Reuters are expecting an unemployment rate of 4.3%, up from 4.2% in August.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225
index was set for a higher open, with its futures contract in Chicago trading at 48,180, and its counterpart in Osaka at 48,060, against the index’s last close of 47,672.67.
