The tech giant benefited from an accelerated shift to online shopping, working and learning during the pandemic, a trend that also benefited fellow giants like Amazon and Facebook.

The 23 members of the OPEC+ oil cartel, who meet on Wednesday, are expected to stick to their guns and increase output modestly as the price of crude surges.

This week will go far to define the psychology of the market for the next few months, said Westpac analysts.

Equity markets tumbled in Asia on Thursday following a late sell-off on Wall Street in reaction to a surprisingly hawkish turn by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell who signaled the bank would begin lifting interest rates in March.

Concerns that the Fed's expected interest rate hikes could hammer Asia's equities markets have dragged on MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares.

The ministry expects domestic crypto transactions to double or triple this year, when it plans to launch a national crypto exchange in the first quarter.

The Nikkei is off 0.6 percent, but Wall Street futures try to bounce as the Fed is expected to sound hawkish on March rate hike.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.8 percent.

China further reduced bank lending costs Thursday in the latest move to boost its stuttering economy, providing some much-needed support to the country's beleaguered developers.

The country raised US$762 million to finance its energy transition.    

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan reflected the sombre tone, trading down 0.1 percent in mid-morning trade after closing lower for four days straight.

Agency cites the effect of low harvests at the end of last year among factors contributing to the price rise.

Analysts have observed a similar shift towards bitcoin being held for longer period by investors.

Most Asian equities rallied Tuesday and Brent crude hit a more than seven-year high as optimism over the global recovery returned to trading floors, though concerns about the end of long-running central bank support tempered sentiment.

Asian share markets got off to a cautious start on Monday as the US earnings season loomed large and a slew of Chinese economic data were expected to show the deadening effect of coronavirus restrictions on activity.

Experts are optimistic for the property sector but warn developers and consumers of the rise in value added tax (VAT) and Bank Indonesia's (BI) interest rates.

Asian markets retreated Tuesday as investors grew increasingly concerned about the Federal Reserve's plans to wind back its financial support measures and lift interest rates within months.

Asian markets fluctuated Monday following another negative performance on Wall Street as US data showed fewer new jobs than expected were created last month but that wages saw a strong gain, keeping pressure on the Federal Reserve in its battle against inflation.

Asian shares snapped two days of losses on Friday, climbing as investors waited to see whether US jobs data due later in the day would reinforce the need for faster US interest rate hikes.

The Indonesian coal benchmark price was set at US$158.50 per ton for January, down 0.81 percent from a month earlier, as China started ramping up production.

Asian shares fell on Thursday, extending a global slump after Federal Reserve meeting minutes pointed to a faster-than-expected rise in US interest rates due to concerns about persistent inflation.

US Treasury yields surged on rising bets for a Federal Reserve rate hike by March.

Markets struggled in Asia on Wednesday following a tepid lead from Wall Street, with inflation and expected interest rate hikes returning to the key focus of concerns as Omicron fears fade for now.

The government insists the move is needed to safeguard domestic power supply and says it is "quite comfortable with the risks" it faces.

The US dollar reached its strongest level in more than a month against the Japanese yen on Tuesday, lifted by a jump in Treasury yields overnight as traders bet on an early Federal Reserve interest rate hike despite surging COVID-19 cases.

The new year got off to a mixed start on Monday in holiday-thinned Asian trade, following a healthy run-up at the end of last week, with some cheer provided by data suggesting regional economies improved last month.

Stock markets dipped on Friday in thin trading but were set to see in the New Year with double-digit gains for 2021, while oil prices retreated from $80 a barrel following their biggest annual rise since 2009.

Shares in Hong Kong opened with strong gains thanks to surging Chinese tech stocks on Friday, a day when many Asian bourses -- including Indonesia's -- were closed for public holidays. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing growth of the digital economy helped the local bourse break new ground.

The most spectacular surge was that of Europe's reference gas price, Dutch TTF, which hit 187.78 euros per megawatt hour in December -- 10 times higher compared with the start of the year.