Asian markets see declines

Equities markets saw gains in Europe Wednesday. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.4 percent to 1,580.31. The Dax was up 0.03 percent to 7,680.76, while the IBEX gained 0.44 percent to 14,829.8 and the Paris CAC-40 was 0.61 percent higher to 5,934.27. In London, the FTSE 100 gained 0.6 percent to 6,559.6. The FTSE 250, meanwhile, was 0.14 percent higher to 11,597.7.

Wall Street was higher as well in early afternoon trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.29 percent to 13,333.43, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.37 percent to 2,559.15 and the S&P 500 was 0.42 percent higher to 1,499.31 percent.

Asia-Pacific equities markets were lower on the session. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index fell 0.28 percent to 20,578.75, while the Straits Times index in Singapore dropped 0.41 percent to 3,551.22. The Sensex was down 0.91 percent to 14,003.03. Meanwhile, in Australia, the Sydney Ordinaries were 0.92 percent lower to 6,210.1. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 dropped 0.2 percent to 17,732.77, while the Topix index fell 0.3 percent to 1,745.92 and the Mothers market of small and mid-caps was 0.6 percent lower on the session.

Crude oil prices were higher after US gasoline inventories were unchanged last week. Metals prices, on the other hand, were lower on the session.

The US dollar was stronger, while sterling and the yen both weakened. Bond yields were up in the Eurozone and the UK, while US Treasury bond yields were slightly lower in the afternoon in New York.

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