Asian Markets Mixed Amid Lack Of Cues

(RTTNews) - Asian stock markets are trading mixed on a subdued note on Tuesday, following the mixed cues from global markets ahead of them closing for a long Christmas holiday weekend, as traders remain cautious and do not want to hold on to any significant positions during the holiday ridden final week of the year. Asian markets closed mixed on Monday.

The Australian stock market is closed on Tuesday for Boxing Day holiday. Australian stocks closed slightly lower on Friday prior to the holiday on Monday.

In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.681 on Tuesday.

Giving up some of the gains the previous two sessions, the Japanese stock market is slightly lower on Tuesday, with the Nikkei 225 staying above the 33,200 mark, following the lack of cues from global markets overnight as they were closed for Christmas holiday.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed the morning session at 33,253.21, down 0.82 points or 0.00 percent, after touching a high of 33,312.26 and a low of 33,212.18 earlier. Japanese shares ended modestly lower on Monday.

Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is edging up 0.1 percent, while Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is edging down 0.4 percent. Among automakers, Honda is edging down 0.4 percent and Toyota is edging down 0.5 percent.

In the tech space, Advantest and Tokyo Electron are edging up 0.1 percent each, while Screen Holdings is advancing almost 1 percent.

In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Mizuho Financial and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial are edging down 0.2 to 0.4 percent each.

The major exporters are mixed. Panasonic and Mitsubishi Electric are losing almost 1 percent each, while Sony and Canon are edging up 0.1 percent each.

Among the other major losers, Takashimaya and Odakyu Electric Railway are losing almost 3 percent each.

Conversely, there are no other major gainers.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 142 yen-range on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in Asia, China is down 0.6 percent, while Taiwan is up 0.5 percent. South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia are relatively flat. New Zealand is closed for Boxing Day holiday, while Hong Kong and Indonesia are closed for Christmas Holidays.

On Wall Street, the markets were closed for Christmas holiday on Monday after closing mixed on Friday.

The major European markets also were closed for Christmas holiday on Monday after closing slightly higher on Friday.