Asian Markets Mixed Amid Uncertainty Over Direction of Global Economy

Asian markets were mixed Monday as investors appear to be impatient with the slow introduction of new COVID-19 vaccines and the slow pace of economic stimulus legislation in the U.S. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei and Taiwan’s TSEC index both closed up 0.4% Australia’s S&P/ASX index dropped 0.1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell just over one percent. Shanghai’s Composite index plunged 1.4% and South Korea’s KOSPI lost 0.9%. In late afternoon trading, Mumbai’s Sensex is 1.8% lower. In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,793.00, up 0.8%. U.S. crude oil is selling at $59.71 per barrel, up 0.7%, and Brent crude…