Tokyo — Asian stocks were shaky while major currencies barely budged in early trade on Thursday, as financial markets remained in a state of anxious uncertainty on the eve of a US deadline to slap tariffs on Chinese imports. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.1%, having moved in and out of the red in early trade. The index has lost 1.6% this week, during which it plumbed a nine-month low. Asia was bereft of the usual leads as the US markets were closed on Wednesday for the Independence Day holiday. US stock futures were marginally higher, pointing to a stronger open for Wall Street later in the day. Japan’s Nikkei lost 0.15%, South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.2%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was off 0.2% and the Shanghai Composite index edged down 0.1%. "The markets lack strong direction without incentives from the US, where their markets were closed yesterday. Moves by Chinese shares and the yuan remain a key factor in the meantime," said Masahiro Ichikawa, ...
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