Oil prices recovered after falling overnight because of concerns about increased supply and lower demand amid fresh COVID-19 travel restrictions around the world.
Oil prices recovered a touch after falling overnight on concerns that new travel restrictions on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic would weaken fuel demand, and as the prospect of increased supply dragged on prices.
Bitcoin rose 1.8% to $23,223, extending its weekly gains to 21.3%, with a break of the $20,000 mark on Wednesday triggering a fresh wave of buying binge.
The Qatari index ended almost flat. Commercial Bank topped the gainers on the benchmark, adding 1.7pc, while Qatar National Bank was the top loser, shedding 0.6pc.
Against a basket of currencies the dollar sat at 90.923, which is about half a percent above a two-and-a-half-year low it hit on Friday as short sellers piled in.
In commodities, oil prices slipped from their highest levels since March as a continued surge in coronavirus cases globally forced a series of renewed lockdowns, including strict new measures in Southern California.
A top official of the U.S. government’s vaccine development effort said Sunday that the first vaccines could be given to U.S. healthcare workers and others recommended by mid-December.
Investor sentiment was given a boost when Moderna Inc said its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing infection based on interim late-state data.
The United States has reported fresh daily records for new COVID-19 case hospitalisations this week, prompting cities and states, including Chicago, Detroit and California, to re-impose public health restrictions.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.44%, approaching the highest since January 2018. Chinese shares rose 0.37%. Stocks in Japan rose 0.62% to a 29-year high.
The risk of a prolonged contested election remained, though the count was progressing in an orderly fashion with Democratic challenger Joe Biden narrowly ahead in key states.
The United States has seen its highest ever number of new COVID-19 cases in the past two days, while France also set unwanted case records and Spain announced a state of emergency.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.3% for its fourth straight session of gains to a level not seen since early September.
U.S. markets kicked off the fourth quarter closing higher on Thursday while the dollar sank, as investors tracked stimulus talk updates throughout the day.
Hong Kong shares of HSBC and Standard Chartered fell more than 2% each, as global banking stocks remained under intense pressure on reports about financial institutions allegedly moving illicit funds.
Japan's Nikkei advanced 0.4% as revised data confirmed the nation had slumped into its worst postwar contraction, with business spending taking a bigger hit from the coronavirus than initially estimated.
Chinese stocks started lower while shares of Hong Kong-listed Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) plunged to the lowest since June 16 on fears the firm could be added to a U.S. trade blacklist.