Asia markets open mixed after Wall Street rally stalls; Bank of Korea rate decision in focus

Asia markets open mixed after Wall Street rally stalls; Bank of Korea rate decision in focus


A general view of the Lotte tower amid the the Seoul city skyline and Han river during sunset.

Ed Jones | Afp | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed on Thursday after Wall Street rally stalled overnight even as inflation data came in line with expectations.

The U.S. personal consumption expenditure price index, or PCE, rose 2.3% on an annualized basis, accelerating from 2.1% in September. The so-called core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, climbed 2.8% in the 12 months through October, up from 2.7% in the previous month.

Both matched the expectations from economists polled by Reuters, according to LSEG data.

The Bank of Korea is expected to hold its benchmark rate unchanged at 3.25% when its monetary policy committee meets later in the day, according to a Reuters poll of economists. The central bank will also announce updated economic growth and inflation forecasts.

South Korea’s blue-chip Kospi index shed 0.16% while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced modestly by 0.63%.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.50% while broad-based Topix was flat.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 started the day up 0.54%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were at 19,618, higher than the HSI’s last close of 19,603.13.

Overnight in the U.S., declines in big technology names pulled markets lower in a thin trading session.

Chipmaking powerhouse Nvidia lost more than 1%, while Meta Platforms slid 0.8%. Dell and HP dropped more than 12% and 11%, respectively, following weak earnings forecasts.

The S&P 500 declined 0.38% to 5,998.74, snapping a seven-day winning streak. The Nasdaq Composite lost 0.6% to end at 19,060.48. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 138.25 points, or 0.31%, to finish at 44,722.06, reversing course gaining more than 140 points.

The U.S. market will be closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

— CNBC’s Alex Harring and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.



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