BEIJING – Asian stock markets declined Friday as questions about the effectiveness of one possible coronavirus vaccine weighed on investor optimism.
Benchmarks in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney retreated while Shanghai gained. Investors have been encouraged by reports of progress toward a possible vaccine.
But they were uneasy after researchers questioned data that showed a candidate from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca was 70% effective. “Market participants showed increasing signs of nervousness as data errors were revealed,” said Mizuho Bank in a report.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo lost 0.1% to 26,506.97 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng sank 0.2% to 26,761.22. The Shanghai Composite Index added 0.4% to 3,383.06.