Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Thursday as investors awaited developments in Washington, where lawmakers passed a vote to end the record-breaking United States government shutdown by the end of the week.
By 12:30 pm AEDT (1:30 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.7%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.3% and South Korea’s Kospi 200 slipped 0.1%.
SoftBank Group shares extended their slump for a second straight session, down 3.6% after the Japanese conglomerate revealed earlier this week that it had sold its entire $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia in October to fund its growing investment in OpenAI.
On the data front, Japan’s wholesale prices rose 2.7% year-on-year in October, slowing from the prior month as import costs eased, according to Bank of Japan data released Thursday. The figure slightly exceeded market expectations for a 2.5% gain.
In Australia, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in October, lower than expected, according to fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
On Wall Street, major benchmarks ended mixed on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7%, extending its record highs, while the S&P 500 added 0.1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3%.
In commodities, Brent crude tumbled 3.8% to settle at US$62.71 per barrel, extending a week-long slide as traders weighed rising supply against weaker demand prospects.
Spot gold climbed 1.7% to a three-week high of US$4,195.21 per ounce, supported by a softer dollar and safe-haven buying.
Chinese equities were subdued, with the Shanghai Composite slipping 0.1% to 4,000.1 and the CSI 300 easing 0.1% to 4,645.9.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.9% to a multi-week high of 26,922.7, while India’s BSE Sensex advanced 0.7% to 84,466.5.
In Europe, markets extended their rally on Wednesday. London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.1% to close at 9,911.4, marking a third straight record high. Germany’s DAX advanced 1.2% to a three-week peak of 24,381.5, and France’s CAC 40 climbed 1% to 8,241.2, touching fresh intraday records.
