ASIAN stocks are set for a shaky start on Thursday after a mixed bag of corporate results and profit taking weighed down on US markets.The main US share indices ranged from a 0.4 per cent loss to a 0.5 per cent gain as strong results from technology bellwether Apple Inc countered a poor result from financials such as Wells Fargo & Co.Apple’s result helped the Nasdaq to its 11th straight day of gains — its longest-winning stretch since September 1996.British and European shares closed higher for the eighth day in a row, led by rises in defensive stocks such as pharmaceuticals.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the U.S.consumer will not drive a global economic recovery, and the U.S. was still at risk from high unemployment and bad commercial real estate loans. Japanese shares are set to edge higher, with Nikkei futures traded in Chicago 80 points above the last closing level in Osaka.However, Australian markets are set to ease, with September index futures at 4,030, a 37.5 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index’s close on Wednesday.The US dollar hit a seven-week low against a basket of currencies as the safe-haven appeal of the greenback faded.Oil prices edged lower on rising US fuel stockpiles. - Reuters