The Japanese stockmarket has closed down as it began trading again following a three-day holiday.
The Nikkei 225 index was 0.25 per cent lower at 16,106.72 at its close on May 6, as investors await jobs data out of the US.
China’s Shanghai Composite index is 2.8 per cent lower at 2,913.25 at 3.01pm, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is down 1.5 per cent, trading at 20,135.41 at 3.38pm.
If the labour data coming out of the US today is positive then investors will expect markets to bounce.
When trading closed yesterday (May 5) the S&P 500 index had declined 0.02 per cent to 2,050.63.
Speculation is mounting about whether the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates for the first time this year at its June meeting.
Joshua Mahony, market analyst at IG, said: “As we tiptoe towards a crucial payrolls number, there is a feeling that today’s release could be make or break, for indices, the US dollar and the possibility of a June rate hike.
“The US jobs report represents the one dominant event on the mind of every trader today, with volatility largely guaranteed regardless of the figures.”
