Japanese stocks set for lower start; data shows China’s industrial profits rose

SINGAPORE — Shares in Japan looked set for a lower open on Monday, while data released over the weekend showed Chinese industrial profits grew in the first two months of the year.

The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 28,045 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 28,010. That compared against the Nikkei 225’s last close at 28,149.84.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.21% in morning trade.

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Currencies

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 98.852 following a recent climb from below 98.7.

The Japanese yen traded at 112.22 per dollar, weaker than levels below 120 seen against the greenback last week. The Australian dollar was at $0.7514, having risen from below $0.74 last week.

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