Asian markets are mixed Tuesday as the worsening coronavirus pandemic around the world, coupled with the political turmoil in the United States, is putting a damper on trading activity.   The Nikkei index in Tokyo finished 25 points higher, but was virtually unchanged percentage-wise (+0.09%), while the Shanghai Composite rose 2.1%.   Sydney’s S&P/ASX index lost 0.2%.  Seoul’s KOSPI index closed 0.7% lower, while the TSEC index in Taipei was down 0.3%.   Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng index is up 1.1% in late afternoon trading, and Mumbai’s Sensex is 0.3% higher.   In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,858.80, up 0.4%.  U.S. crude oil is selling at $52.65 per barrel, up 0.7%, and Brent crude is selling at $56.01 per barrel, up 0.6%. The three major U.S. indices — the Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq — are all trending positively in futures trading.
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