Hang Seng Index futures opened the day session down 0.15% at 25,956, trading 53 points below the cash index.

CITIC Securities says on fundamentals it expects Q2 net interest margins to be strong and capital markets and wealth-management activity to lift non-interest income, keeping banks' revenue growth stable and likely nudging profit growth higher. From an investment angle the sector extended its positive trend since July last week but experienced large index swings amid style rotation; CITIC expects A-share volatility to remain elevated over the next two weeks and banks' relative performance may weaken. Nevertheless, stable operating profiles and an ongoing macro narrative support continued full-year absolute return potential.

Head of Iraq's State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) said the tariff for transporting crude via Turkey is $1.62 per barrel.