Asian shares mixed after omicron worries rattle Wall Street
ABC News
Asian shares are mixed amid nervous trading due to worries over the newest coronavirus variant
TOKYO -- Asian shares were mixed Wednesday amid nervous trading due to worries over the newest coronavirus variant.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was up 0.8% in morning trading to 28,062.99, after gyrating earlier in the session. South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.1% to 2,869.67. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.4% to 7,229.40. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.3% to 23,787.71, while the Shanghai Composite was little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 3,563.03.
The detection of the omicron variant in Japan, as well as Brazil, announced Tuesday, has raised fears that further measures to contain infections would squelch tourism and other economic activity. Experts say it may take weeks before they know more details about whether the omicron variant causes serious illness.
Anderson Alves, a trader at ActivTrades, said Asian markets were nervous after an overnight slide on Wall Street and comments from Moderna's CEO that existing COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective with omicron than earlier variants.
