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Asian Markets
APAC retreats as tech slide deepens; SoftBank down 8.3%
Major Asia-Pacific markets retreated on Friday following losses in United States technology stocks and fading hopes of a December rate cut by the Federal Reserve. By 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 had declined 1.3%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 2%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 dropped 3.3%. Tech conglomerate SoftBank tumbled 8.3% amid regional losses, with Advantest down 10%, and Tokyo Electron retreating 5%. In South Korea, Kospi heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell 4.3% and 8.1%, respectively. On the data front, South Korea’s Producer Price Index rose 0.2% month-on-month in October 2025 and 1.5% year-on-year, up from 1.2% previously. In Japan, core inflation hit 3% in October, its sharpest pace since July, in line with expectations, bolstering the case for continued Bank of Japan rate hikes. Headline inflation also climbed to 3%, marking 43 consecutive months above the BOJ’s 2% target, while “core-core” inflation, excluding fresh food and energy, nudged up to 3.1% from 3% in September. Japan’s exports in October exceeded expectations, rising 3.6% year-on-year versus a forecasted 1.1%. Exports to Asia grew 4.2% and shipments to Western Europe surged 8.8%, offsetting a 2.7% de
Asian Markets
APAC rises amid tech rebound post-NVIDIA earnings
Asia-Pacific markets climbed on Thursday as investors cheered Nvidia’s stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings and bullish outlook, which reinforced confidence in the global AI trade and triggered broad gains in regional chip stocks. Shares of Nvidia were trading 5.2% higher in after-hours trade after the company posted a solid fiscal third-quarter beat on both earnings and revenue. The chipmaker also issued a robust fourth-quarter sales forecast, with CEO Jensen Huang saying demand for its Blackwell GPUs is “off the charts”. By 11:55 am AEDT (12:55 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.9%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 3.6%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 advanced 2.3%. Chip-related stocks led the charge in Japan, as tech conglomerate SoftBank jumped 6.1%, and semiconductor equipment giant Tokyo Electron lifted 5.1%. In South Korea, memory chip makers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics added 3% and 3.7%, respectively. On the data front, China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged for a sixth straight month in November, in line with expectations. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) remained at 3.0%, while the five-year LPR held at 3.5%. In the United States overnight, major benchmarks finished modestly higher
Asian Markets
APAC markets mixed after US tech rout deepens
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Wednesday as regional equities mirrored Wall Street’s overnight declines, with investor sentiment pressured by deepening concerns over stretched valuations in artificial intelligence-related stocks. By 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was flat, Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged 0.3% higher, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 slid 1.1%. On the data front, Japan’s monthly machinery orders surprised to the upside. Private-sector machinery orders, excluding volatile orders for ships and electric power companies, rose a seasonally adjusted 4.2% in September, beating expectations for a 2.5% increase and reversing a 0.9% decline in the previous month. In Australia, the quarterly Wage Price Index increased 0.8% in the September quarter of 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Michelle Marquardt, head of prices statistics at the ABS, noted: “Annual wage growth to the September quarter 2025 was 3.4 per cent. Annual wage growth remained steady compared to the June quarter 2025 but was slightly lower than this time last year.” Overnight in the U.S., equity benchmarks closed near monthly lows. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.1%, the S&P 500 fell 0.8%, and the
Asian Markets
APAC falls, tech jitters deepen ahead of Nvidia earnings
Asia-Pacific markets declined on Tuesday, echoing overnight losses on Wall Street as renewed pressure on technology and AI-linked firms weighed on sentiment, ahead of closely monitored Nvidia’s earnings and key United States economic data later this week. By 11:40 am AEDT (12:40 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 1%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.8%, while South Korea’s Kospi 200 slipped 1.6%. Among data releases, minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest meeting showed policymakers weighing the recent inflation spike, judging financial conditions as “slightly restrictive”, but acknowledging that this may no longer be the case. The weak tone followed a negative session in the United States on Monday, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.2%, the S&P 500 declined 0.9% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.8%. In commodities, Brent crude eased 0.3% to settle at US$64.20 a barrel, while spot gold declined 1% to US$4,045.86 per ounce. In China, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.5% on Monday, pulling back from 10-year highs to close at 3,972.0. The CSI 300 lost 0.7% to 4,598.1. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.7% to 26,384.3, while India’s BSE Sensex bucked the regional trend, rising 0.5% to 84,951.
Asian Markets
Markets: APAC starts mixed; Japan GDP in focus
Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed on Monday, following a similar session on Wall Street last Friday, while investors parsed regional economic data. By 11:40 am AEDT (12:40 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.2%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3%. South Korea’s Kospi 200 bucked the trend, climbing 1.6%, buoyed by gains in major tech exporters - Samsung Electronics rose 3% and chipmaker SK hynix jumped 5.5%. In economic news, Japan’s economy contracted by 0.4% in the quarter ended September, a smaller decline than expected compared with the previous quarter. U.S. markets on Friday were mixed: the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7%, the S&P 500 edged down 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.1%. Commodity markets saw Brent crude rise 2.2% to US$64.39 per barrel, while spot gold slipped 2.1% to US$4,089.62 per ounce. China’s major indexes pulled back from recent highs, with the Shanghai Composite down 1% to 3,990.5 and the CSI 300 easing 1.6% to 4,628.1. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.9% to 26,572.5. India’s BSE Sensex edged up 0.1% to 84,562.8. European equities extended Friday’s declines, with the FTSE 100 down 1.1% to 9,698.4, Germany’s DAX dipping 0.7% to 23,876.6, and France’s CAC 40 losi

Asian Markets
APAC slides, tracking Wall St losses amid tech selloff
Asia-Pacific markets declined on Friday, following the steep sell-off on Wall Street as technology stocks remained under pressure and doubts intensified over whether the Federal Reserve will cut rates in December. By 11:30 am AEDT (12:30 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 1.5%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 bucked the regional trend, rising 1.5%. South Korea’s Kospi 200 fell sharply, losing 2.2%. On the economic front, South Korea’s import and export price indexes rose 0.5% and 4.8% year on year, respectively, outpacing expectations for a 0.6% increase in import prices and a 2.2% gain in export prices. Meanwhile, China released its latest readings on retail sales, industrial production, and fixed-asset investment for October. Industrial production reportedly sustained growth, up 4.9% year on year versus 5.5% expected and 6.5% in the previous period. Retail sales added 2.9% versus 2.7% expected, down slightly from last month's reading of 3%. Fixed asset investment fell 1.7%, greater than an expected decline of 0.8% and accelerating from last month's fall of 0.5%. Unemployment was generally stable, ticking down to 5.1% versus 5.2% in the previous period. Overnight in the United States, major indices closed
Asian Markets
APAC trades mixed as markets await US reopening
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%.
Asian Markets
Markets: APAC benchmarks tick up; SoftBank sheds 6%
Asia-Pacific markets traded marginally higher on Wednesday, extending cautious gains as investors rotated away from heavily valued AI-linked technology stocks after a mixed session on Wall Street. By 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.2%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 rose 2.7%. Japan’s SoftBank Group shares tumbled 6% after the company disclosed in an investor briefing document released at the same time as SoftBank's second-quarter results that it sold 32.1 million Nvidia shares in October and reduced its stake in T-Mobile, generating US$9.17 billion in proceeds. On the data front, South Korea’s unemployment rate ticked up to 2.6% in October from 2.5% previously, while Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures showed a sharp rise in property investment. The number of new investor loan commitments climbed 13.6% in the September quarter to 57,624 — the highest since March 2022. Dr Mish Tan, ABS head of finance statistics, noted: “The number of investment loans in the September quarter has increased to its highest level since March Quarter 2022. "Falling borrowing costs and low vacancy rates are favourable conditions for investors. Strength of lending for
Asian Markets
APAC on the rise amid US funding hopes, AI rebound
Asia-Pacific markets advanced on Tuesday, following Wall Street’s strong overnight gains driven by revived optimism in artificial intelligence stocks and growing confidence that the United States government shutdown could soon come to an end. By 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 had risen 0.2%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 1%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 gained 2.7%. On the data front, Australia’s National Australia Bank reported that its index of business conditions rose one point to +9 in October, marking its highest reading since March 2024. The accompanying business confidence index fell one point to +6 but remained comfortably above its long-run average. In a separate release, the Westpac–Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index surged 12.8% to 103.8 in November from 92.1 in October. Matthew Hassan, Head of Australian Macro-Forecasting, noted: "This is an extraordinary and somewhat surprising result. November marks the first ‘net positive’ read on consumer sentiment in the best part of four years. "Much of the November sentiment gain is coming from a markedly more confident assessment of prospects for the economy. The ‘economic outlook, next 12 months’ and the ‘economic outlook, next 5 y