Asian Shares Mixed As Oil Rises On Gulf Tensions

Asian shares were mixed on Monday as a strong US jobs report supported the outlook for global growth, while oil prices edged higher after attacks on ships in the Gulf, according to RTHK. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened up 2 points, or 0.01 percent, at 25,652 before turning lower in early trading. The tech index opened down 11 points, or 0.26 percent, at 4,558, while the China enterprises index fell 6 points, or 0.08 percent, to 8,548. The Shanghai Composite Index opened up 12 points, or 0.32 percent, at 3,942. The Shenzhen Component Index rose 88 points, or 0.65 percent, to 13,605, and the ChiNext Index gained 39 points, or 1.21 percent, to 3,326. Brent crude added 0.2 percent to US$96.45 a barrel, while US crude rose 0.4 percent to US$91.85 a barrel. The move came after Tehran said it would announce a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in coming days after US forces hit three Iranian tankers and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships. The report also said the European Central Bank is seen as certain to lift rates to 2.75 percent on Thursday, with futures implying a 75 percent chance of another hike to 3 percent by December. On Wall Street, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were fractionally lower during a US holiday.