Asia-Pacific Stocks Mixed; Shares of Nomura Plunge 16% After Flagging Potential $2 Billion Loss

Toru Hanai | Bloomberg via Getty Images
  • Shares of Nomura in Japan plunged 16.33% on Monday after the firm flagged a potential $2 billion loss at a U.S. subsidiary.
  • Meanwhile, shares of Chinese video platform Bilibili slumped in their debut in Hong Kong on Monday, declining about 1% from their issue price.
  • Markets in India were closed on Monday for a holiday.

SINGAPORE — Stocks in Asia-Pacific were mixed on Monday, as markets in India were closed for a holiday.

The Nikkei 225 in Japan gained 0.71% to close at 29,384.52 while the Topix index advanced 0.46% to finish its trading day at 1,993.34.

But shares of Japanese financial services company Nomura plunged 16.33% on Monday after the firm flagged a potential $2 billion loss at a U.S. subsidiary.

"Nomura is currently evaluating the extent of the possible loss and the impact it could have on its consolidated financial results," the company said in a news release. The firm on Monday also canceled a bond issuance that had been priced earlier in March.

South Korea's Kospi closed 0.16% lower at 3,036.04.

Mainland Chinese stocks were higher on the day as the Shanghai composite gained 0.5% to 3,435.30 while the Shenzhen component was marginally higher at 13,771.26.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed little changed at 28,338.30. Shares of Chinese video platform Bilibili slumped on Monday in its Hong Kong debut, falling nearly 7% from their issue price in early trading. It later pared some losses and closed about 1% lower than its issue price on Monday.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.36% to close at 6,799.50.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan traded 0.06% higher.

Markets in India were closed on Monday for a holiday.

Oil prices drop

Oil prices fell in the afternoon of Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures declining 1.02% to $63.91 per barrel. U.S. crude futures also shed 1.49% to $60.06 per barrel.

The decline in oil prices came after maritime services firm Inchscape announced that the Ever Given, the giant container ship blocking the Suez Canal, has been refloated and is being secured.

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 92.826 after rising earlier this month from levels below 92.

The Japanese yen traded at 109.63 per dollar, having weakened last week from levels below 109 against the greenback. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7632, following a decline last week from above $0.768.

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