Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Wednesday as investors awaited the outcome of the United States Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting, where officials are widely expected to announce an interest rate cut.
By 11:45 am AEST (1:45 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.6%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.2%, hovering near record levels, while South Korea’s Kospi 200 dropped 1.2%.
In economic data, Japan posted a trade deficit of ¥242.5 billion (A$2.47 billion) in August, the Ministry of Finance reported, a smaller shortfall than the ¥513.6 billion forecast.
Exports fell for the fourth straight month, slipping 0.1% year-on-year, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs continued to weigh on global trade. Shipments of cars and steel led the decline, with exports to the U.S. suffering their steepest drop in more than four years.
Imports fell 5.2%, a sharper contraction than the 4.2% expected.
On Wall Street overnight, major benchmarks ended in negative territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.3%, the S&P 500 eased 0.1%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.1%.
In commodities, Brent crude climbed 1.5% to settle at US$68.47 per barrel, its highest level in two weeks. Spot gold rose 0.3% to a record $3,689.86 an ounce.
Chinese markets were subdued on Tuesday, with the Shanghai Composite edging 0.04% higher to 3,861.9, while the CSI 300 slipped 0.2% to 4,523.3.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dipped 0.03% to 26,438.5. India’s BSE Sensex outperformed, rising 0.7% to close at 82,380.7.
European markets closed lower, with FTSE 100 dropping 0.9% to 9,195.7, Germany’s DAX sliding 1.8% to 23,329.2, and France’s CAC 40 losing 1% to 7,818.2.
