Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday followed Wall Street's mostly positive performance ahead of key US inflation data that could influence the pace of market-boosting rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. US futures and oil prices were little changed. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% higher to 38,505.54. The Kospi rose 0.2% to 2,502.94 after South Korean law enforcement officials detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday in connection with his failed declaration of martial law last month. South Korea's unemployment rate reached 3.7% in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, the highest since June 2021, amid political uncertainty, the government reported. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 0.2% to 19,264.46 after media reported that President-elect Donald Trump's incoming economic team is discussing gradually ramping up tariffs in different phases. The Shanghai Composite shed 0.3% to 3,232.98. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was flat at 8,233.10. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose
The impact of the jobs report on US rate cut prospects also raised the stakes for consumer price figures
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.2 per cent, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.8 per cent
Washington Post reported on that Trump aides were exploring tariff plans that would be applied to every country but only cover certain sectors deemed critical to national or economic security
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.33 per cent higher but on course for a nearly 1 per cent drop for the week
The start of the New Year was shaping up to be a less favourable one for equities, as uncertainty over the policies of incoming President Trump
Volumes were light with holiday for New Year looming and Japan on holiday for the rest of the week, with the Santa-rally losing some steam as elevated Treasury yields weigh on high equity valuations
As the year-end approaches, trading volumes have begun thinning out and the main focus for investors remains that of the Federal Reserve's rate outlook
Shares slipped in Tokyo and Shanghai on Wednesday, two of only a handful of world markets open on Christmas day. Oil prices rose. Japan's Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1 per cent lower to 38,997.02, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.2 per cent to 3,387.41. Thursday will bring a weekly update on US unemployment benefits. Also early Wednesday, US benchmark crude oil was up 93 cents at USD 70.17 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 6 cents to USD 73.23 per barrel. The USD rose to 157.37 Japanese Yen from 157.11 Yen. The Euro rose to USD 1.0431 from USD 1.0397. On Tuesday, stocks closed higher on Wall Street in a shortened holiday session. Gains in Big Tech stocks helped the S&P 500 to a 1.1 per cent gain, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9 per cent. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3 per cent. Advancers outnumbered decliners by more than 3-to-1 on the New York Stock Exchange. Broadcom rose 3.2 per cent, Apple gained 1.1 per cent and Amazon .
Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday after stocks in Wall Street shook off a choppy start to finish higher the previous day as it kicked off a holiday-shortened week. US futures were little changed and oil prices rose. Honda shares surged more than 16 per cent as the Japanese auto giant announced an up to 1.1 trillion yen (USD 7 billion) share buyback and meanwhile, held a merger talk with Nissan. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp. also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Nissan's share shed 0.1 per cent on Tuesday. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3 per cent in morning trading to 39,055.35. South Korea's consumer sentiment sharply dropped in December amid rising concerns over political uncertainty following the parliament's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The decline hit the lowest level since November 2022, when a Halloween crowd crus
After the bonanza of recent central bank decisions, this week is much quieter with only the minutes of a few of those meetings due
Rates now are expected to bottom out at 3.9 per cent by the end of next year, much higher than just a few months ago
Asian stocks have taken the cue from Wall Street, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan down 1 per cent
Dollar index, which measures the US currency against six rivals, was steady at 106.77 and on course for 5 per cent gain for the year
China's blue chip index eased 0.2 per cent, having dropped more than 2 per cent last Friday
It has been a week of rate cuts from Switzerland, Canada and the European Central Bank, which had rate differentials working in the favour of the US dollar
The Australian dollar surged after employment data topped estimates by a wide margin
Mood was generally upbeat after US November payrolls showed enough of a recovery to assuage concerns of a slowdown
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.3 per cent in part due to a 1.7 per cent drop in South Korea's KOSPI
The S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow all notched record highs overnight and bitcoin, at times a barometer of the mood, was back within a whisker of $100,000