Asian stocks swing as virus and unrest offset vaccine, stimulus

HONG KONG (AFP): Asian markets fluctuated Tuesday (Jan 12) as hopes for the rollout of coronavirus vaccines and a new stimulus out of Washington competed with fears over surging infections, new lockdowns and brewing political and social unrest in the United States.

While analysts' long-term outlook remained positive as more people are inoculated and life returns to normal, frighteningly high new case numbers and deaths around the world -- and the resulting lockdowns -- kept a cap on buying.