Stocks fell in Japan and Australia on Friday, with most other major Asian markets closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 NIK, -0.14%, which was closed Thursday for a public holiday, slipped 0.3%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 XJO, -0.63% slid 0.5% after the state of Victoria, where Melbourne is located, imposed a coronavirus lockdown for at least five days, starting Saturday. The new restrictions were announced after an outbreak of COVID-19 at a quarantine hotel.
Other Asian markets, including Hong Kong, mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, were shut for the holiday. Chinese markets will reopen next Thursday, while Hong Kong markets will reopen Tuesday.
In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude oil CLH21, -1.05% slipped to $57.79 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude BRNJ21, -0.98%, the global benchmark, dipped to $60.72 per barrel in London.
The dollar USDJPY, 0.24% was little changed at 104.82 yen.