Asia-Pacific markets fall as investors assess U.S.-China trade developments

Asia-Pacific markets fall as investors assess U.S.-China trade developments


© Marco Bottigelli | Moment | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets fell Thursday, after mostly gaining in the previous session on easing U.S.-China trade tensions.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.90%, while the Topix lost 0.75%. South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.29% while the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.37%.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.24%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 0.42%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 was flat.

“While markets have largely priced in peak tariff-related macro stress, we remain wary of a second wave of volatility, this time driven by fiscal policy uncertainty and weakening U.S. hard data,” Citi analysts said in a note.

U.S. stock futures slipped in overnight trading after the S&P 500 index rose for a third straight day. China and the U.S. hammered out a temporary suspension of their tit-for-tat tariff dispute earlier this week.

Overnight, the S&P 500 rose modestly, extending a strong start to the week that pushed the benchmark into the green for the year. The broad market index inched up 0.10% to close at 5,892.58, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.72% and ended at 19,146.81. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 89.37 points, or 0.21%, to settle at 42,051.06.

— CNBC’s Brian Evans and Jesse Pound contributed to this report.



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