Hong Kong (BBN) – Asian markets started the week largely unchanged on Monday with thin volumes, while Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.
Australia’s ASX 200 index was trading flat at 5,669.7 points, while South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index was up 0.1 per cent to 2,080 points.
Weaker commodity prices weighed on Australian resource shares, with mining heavyweight BHP Billiton down 1.1 per cent.
Gold fell to a five-year low and copper ended down more than 1.0 per cent last Friday.
The precious metal touched a new low of $1,130.23 an ounce on Monday after its worst weekly performance since March last week.
Investors were also cautious with Greek banks set to reopen later in the day after being closed for three weeks.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for swift aid talks so Athens can also lift withdrawal limits.
Chinese shares opened lower despite data over the weekend showing that home prices rose for a second consecutive month in June.
Average new home prices rose 0.4 per cent from May, when they were up 0.2 per cent and marked the first monthly increase since April last year.
The Shanghai Composite was flat at 3,954.87, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was also becalmed at 25,402.1.
BBN/SSR/AD
