Stocks in Asia-Pacific traded higher Monday morning as investors watched for developments on U.S. President Donald Trump’s health after he tested positive for the coronavirus last week, CNBC reports. Meanwhile, stocks in Australia jumped in morning trade, with the S&P/ASX 200 up about 2.2 percent as shares of the country’s major banks surged: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group gained 3.98 percent, Commonwealth Bank of Australia added 2.75 percent, Westpac won 4.04 percent and National Australia Bank soared 3.69 percent. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 added 1.34 percent in early trade as the Topix index gained by 1.68 percent. Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan traded 0.41 percent higher. Markets in China are closed on Monday for a holiday.

Source: The Standard October 05, 2020 00:22 UTC