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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
Asian Markets
APAC markets in positive territory, US funding hopes lift
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher on Monday, following gains in United States futures as the Senate reportedly votes on a deal to fund the government through 30 January, signalling the end of the historic shutdown, according to CNN. Investors also bought the dip after concerns over an AI bubble had driven declines across the region last week. By 11:50 am AEDT (12:45 am GMT), major indices showed gains, with Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.4%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gaining 0.7%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 rising 1.9% Market participants are also digesting China’s October inflation data released over the weekend. The consumer price index rose 0.2% year-on-year, while service prices increased 0.8%, marking the country’s strongest CPI gain since January, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. In the United States on Friday, major benchmarks closed mixed, with the Dow up 0.2%, the S&P 500 gaining 0.1%, and the Nasdaq down 0.2%. Commodity markets saw modest gains, with Brent crude rising 0.5% to settle at US$59.75 per barrel and spot gold ticking up 0.6% to US$4,001.28 per ounce. In China, the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.3% to 3,997.6, while the CSI 300 dropped 0.3% to 4,678.8. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index
Asian Markets
APAC trades mixed after Wall St's renewed tech slump
Asia-Pacific markets traded in a mixed fashion on Friday, following Wall Street’s renewed decline led by artificial intelligence stocks, as investors assessed fresh data from Japan and awaited China’s October trade figures. By 11:45 am AEDT (12:45 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.1%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.4%, weighed by sharp losses in major technology names. Shares of Japan’s SoftBank Group extended their slide, down 7% as investors continued to trim exposure to AI-linked firms. South Korea’s Kospi 200 managed modest gains, up 0.2%. In Japan, household spending rose 1.8% in September, marking a slowdown from August’s 2.3% increase and coming in below market expectations of 2.5%, according to data from the Statistics Bureau. Attention now turns to China’s October trade data, due later in the day. Markets are expecting the figures to show a sharp slowdown in external demand, with exports forecast to rise just 3% year-on-year, compared to September’s strong 8.3% increase. Imports are also expected to expand by 3.2%, reversing last month’s 7.4% growth. The downbeat tone in Asia followed a broad decline on Wall Street overnight, as major benchmarks succumbed to renewed selling in high-valuat
Asian Markets
APAC markets bounce as global sentiment improves
Asian-Pacific markets were broadly higher on Thursday as investors retraced some of the previous session’s losses amid positive global cues overnight. By 11:45 am AEDT (12:45 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.4%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 added 1%. Despite the rebound, all three benchmarks remain lower for the week so far, down 0.5%, 3%, and 1.5%, respectively. Fresh Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed the seasonally adjusted goods balance rose A$2.83 billion in September. Exports increased $3.26 billion, or 7.9%, largely driven by non-monetary gold, while imports grew by $429 million, or 1.1%, led by capital goods. South Korea reported a September current account surplus of US$13.47 billion. The goods account surplus of $14.24 billion reflected exports rising 9.6% to $67.27 billion and imports increasing 4.5% to $53.02 billion year-on-year. Overnight in the U.S., major indices rebounded with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.5%, the S&P 500 up 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite adding 0.7%. Sentiment was boosted overnight as artificial intelligence stocks rebounded from valuation concerns, while the Supreme Court’s scepticism about President Donald Trump’s tariffs
Asian Markets
APAC stocks in the red as AI rout hits region
Asia-Pacific markets traded lower on Wednesday, mirroring Wall Street’s overnight declines as the recent sell-off in artificial intelligence stocks weighed on investor sentiment across the region. By 12 pm AEDT (1 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.4%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 2.7%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 tumbled 4.6%. Asian technology and semiconductor shares echoed the weakness. SoftBank Group dropped 8.8%, while chip-testing firm Advantest fell 7.2%, as investors grew wary of overstretched valuations in the sector that has driven much of this year’s rally. In Japan, the Bank of Japan’s September meeting minutes were released, showing policymakers divided on the timing of future rate hikes. One board member suggested raising borrowing costs at “somewhat regular intervals”, while another argued that delaying rate hikes further would increase risks. The BOJ ultimately kept its benchmark rate unchanged at 0.5%, though two of the nine board members dissented, favouring an increase to 0.75%. Elsewhere in the region, New Zealand’s jobless rate climbed to a near nine-year high as labour market conditions softened. Official figures from Stats NZ showed unemployment rising to 5.3% in the September qua

Asian Markets
APAC markets slip; investors await RBA decision
Asia-Pacific markets traded lower on Tuesday morning, following a mixed session on Wall Street as investors awaited the Reserve Bank of Australia’s interest rate decision and assessed stronger-than-expected inflation data from South Korea. By 11:40 am AEDT (12:40 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.5%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200 dropped 1.1%. Among data releases, South Korean consumer prices rose 2.4% year-on-year in October 2025, exceeding market expectations of a 2.1% increase. The uptick was driven by higher energy and food costs following a weaker won, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Korea will hold rates steady at its next meeting. Meanwhile, attention in Australia remained on the RBA’s policy announcement later in the day, with markets widely expecting policymakers to keep interest rates unchanged amid persistent inflation pressures. In the U.S. on Monday, major benchmarks finished mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5%. The gains in the tech-heavy Nasdaq were fuelled by optimism around artificial intelligence investments. Amazon shares jumped 4% after the company announced a US$3
Asian Markets
APAC starts mixed as China PMI, RBA meeting in focus
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Monday as investors awaited new data on China’s manufacturing activity and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) began its two-day policy meeting. By 11:40 am AEDT (12:40 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.5%, while Japan’s markets remained closed for a public holiday. South Korea’s Kospi 200 rose 1.4%. Attention in the region was focused on China’s latest purchasing managers index (PMI) from RatingDog, due later today. Economists expect a reading of 50.9 for October, down slightly from September’s 51.2. However, official data from the National Bureau of Statistics earlier showed that China’s manufacturing activity contracted to a six-month low of 49.0, suggesting renewed pressure on the world’s second-largest economy. The RBA began its monetary policy meeting today, with markets expecting policymakers to keep rates on hold following hotter-than-expected third-quarter inflation data. Economic data released this morning by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed household spending rose 0.2% in September, slightly below expectations of a 0.3% increase. Meanwhile, building approvals surged 12% to 17,019 dwellings, far exceeding forecasts of a 5.5% rise. Market
Asian Markets
APAC rallies; Nikkei 225 hits record on Trump-Xi truce
Asia-Pacific markets advanced on Friday as investors welcomed signs of easing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing following a high-level meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. The leaders agreed to a one-year truce on trade disputes, including the contentious issue of rare earth exports, helping to calm fears of a potential escalation into a full-blown trade war. By 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT), Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 2% to hit a fresh record high, while South Korea’s Kospi 200 climbed 0.4%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4%. Economic data out of South Korea came in far stronger than expected, with industrial production soaring 11.6% year-on-year, well above forecasts of 5.9% and up sharply from the prior 0.9% growth. Retail sales were flat, easing 0.1% month-on-month after a 2.4% decline previously. Japan also posted a series of positive data releases. Tokyo’s core CPI rose 2.8% year-on-year, beating expectations of 2.6% and accelerating from 2.5% in the previous month. Preliminary industrial production jumped 2.2% month-on-month, ahead of the 1.5% forecast, rebounding from a 1.5% fall last period. Meanwhile, retail sales in Japan edged up 0.5% yea
Asian Markets
APAC mixed; Kospi at record amid South Korea trade deal
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Thursday, as investors reacted to comments from United States Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who suggested that a further rate cut in December was far from a “foregone conclusion”. The cautious stance from the Fed tempered optimism following recent market rallies, adding uncertainty to global risk sentiment. Meanwhile, in Seoul, chief policy adviser Kim Yong-beom reportedly outlined details of a new trade deal with Washington. While U.S. officials have yet to confirm the specifics, Kim told The Korea Herald the agreement involves a US$350 billion investment pledge, consisting of $200 billion in cash instalments and $150 billion allocated to shipbuilding industry cooperation, with an annual cap of $20 billion. “As the investments will be made in line with business progress within an annual limit of $20 billion, they will remain within a range the Korean foreign exchange market can absorb, thereby minimising any impact on the market,” Kim said. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at 1 pm AEDT (2 am GMT), with investors eyeing further details on trade and currency coordination between the two largest economies. By 11:50 a.m. AEDT (12:50 a.m. G