Asian stock markets mostly declined following mixed performances from UK and US indices.
Tokyo experienced a drop in shares after Japan reported strong wage growth for November, a development that may encourage the central bank to consider raising interest rates. The Nikkei 225 fell by 1.4% to 39,417.04. Additionally, the US dollar weakened against the Japanese yen, decreasing from 158.36 yen to 157.78 yen per dollar.
Chinese equities showed mixed results. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index edged up by 0.1% to 19,296.89, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.3% to 3,220.72.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined by 0.4% to 8,312.20. South Korea’s Kospi inched up slightly, increasing less than 0.1% to 2,521.67 despite strong gains in the technology and automotive sectors.
Taiwan’s Taiex dropped by 1%, India’s Sensex was down 0.3%, and Thailand’s SET fell by 1.3%.
US markets will be closed today in observance of a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.3% to 42,635.20, and the S&P 500 increased by 0.2% to 5,918.25. However, the Nasdaq Composite declined slightly by 0.1% to 19,478.88. These movements followed strong economic reports that have heightened concerns about the potential for inflation and interest rates to remain higher than expected.
In the bond market, yields on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury notes reached 4.73%, the highest level since April 2024, up from 4.69% late Tuesday and 4.71% the previous night.
