BANGKOK – US stock futures rose more than 0.3 percent after Wall Street ended the previous week with record gains.
South Korea’s Kospi index dropped 3.1 percent to 6,416.17 points, while Japanese markets remained closed for a public holiday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.2 percent to 24,253.70 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.1 percent to 3,809.08 points.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.9 percent to 8,790.70 points. Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.2 percent, while India’s Sensex edged up 0.1 percent.
On Wall Street, major indices closed higher last Friday. The S&P 500 gained 0.6 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6 percent.
In energy markets, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 1.4 percent to $103.31 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 1.7 percent to $90.31 a barrel. Brent was trading at around $72 a barrel before the war with Iran began in late February.
In currency markets, the US dollar edged up against the Japanese yen to 158.27 yen from 158.23 yen. The euro also strengthened against the dollar, rising to $1.1211 from $1.1191.