A mixed and slow session for Asian equities for the most part

Nikkei 18-08

Asian equities are a bit more mixed in trading today, with Japanese exporter stocks also not really finding much comfort in a stronger yen. The Hang Seng is down 0.1% but the Shanghai Composite is up by 0.1% going into the closing stages.

The push higher in the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 is failing to really brighten the mood as we look to get things going in European morning trade.

US futures are near unchanged levels on the day so that isn't really providing much clues.

In the currencies space though, the dollar is still a notable laggard - alongside the kiwi - as we see EUR/USD near 1.1900 and USD/JPY tracking near session lows of 105.60.