Asian Markets higher, Markets in the west lower

Most Asian markets closed higher today in positive response to US government's additional US$800 bailout package. The bailout package now stands at US$1.5 trillion dollars. Also, ailing financial giant Citigroup has received financial help to ease its credit woes. AIG just received US$40 billion from the bailout package. In Asia, only Malaysia and Japan markets closed lower. The Malaysian government has just recently lower its interest rates and vow to lower price of fuel, which for the first time Malaysians have to pay higher than market price.

Australian market closed lower as well. Below are the indices levels. In China, the government has slashed its key interest rates of 1.08 percentage-point, the biggest in 11 years to boost slowing economy. The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index only namaged a 0.5% gain.

In Thailand, the SET index closed managed to close an inch higher despite aggressive government protests that affected both domestic and international airports in Thailand.

In Europe, markets continue to crash as more negative data, which economists now expecting economies to go deeper into recession. As at current time, London's FTSE and France's CAC40 Index closed at 2.5% and 3.1% respectively.

The US market is expected to open lower as the DOW futures are currently trading 1.8% lower . Investors are waiting for reports on jobless claims and orders on big-ticket items.


World Indices Quotes snapshot from NextVIEW Advisor as at 9:30PM local time (+8:00GMT)

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