Asia markets set to fall as inflation worries may impede Fed rate cuts; China inflation data in focus

Asia markets set to fall as inflation worries may impede Fed rate cuts; China inflation data in focus


Customers shopping for vegetables at a supermarket in Nanjing, China.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets were set to fall Thursday after U.S. stocks ended a choppy session slightly higher as the Federal Reserve meeting minutes signaled interest rates could stay higher for longer due to sticky inflation.

Investors in Asia also await China’s inflation data for December. Economists polled by Reuters expect growth in consumer prices to remain near zero while producer prices are estimated to slide.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to fall, with the futures contract in Chicago at 39,950 and its counterpart in Osaka last trading at 39,950 against the index’s previous close of 39,981.06.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.32%.

In contrast, futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index last traded at 19,264, pointing to a lower open compared to the HSI’s close of 19,279.84.

Overnight stateside, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted narrow gains after the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting revealed most committee members see inflation risks have increased.

The U.S. 10-yar Treasury yields briefly topped 4.7%, as the inflation outlook fueled investors’ concerns that the Fed may slow the pace of policy easing this year.

The broad market index gained 0.16% to close at 5,918.25, while the Dow added 0.25% to finish at 42,635.20. The Nasdaq Composite was little moved, ending at 19,478.88.

— CNBC’s Pia Singh and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.



Source

Asia markets set to track Wall Street gains ahead of a potential U.S. government shutdown
World

Asia markets set to track Wall Street gains ahead of a potential U.S. government shutdown

Aerial view of Seoul downtown city skyline with vehicle on expressway and bridge cross over Han river in Seoul city, South Korea. Mongkol Chuewong | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street ahead of a potential U.S. government shutdown as lawmakers continue to wrangle over […]

Read More
The world’s first carbon border tax will soon go live — shaking up global trade
World

The world’s first carbon border tax will soon go live — shaking up global trade

A worker walks past molten steel at a steel factory in Huai’an, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on July 22, 2025. – | Afp | Getty Images The European Union is less than three months away from launching its carbon levy — the world’s first large-scale border tax on carbon-intensive goods. The forthcoming step, which […]

Read More
Oil companies slash jobs by the thousands as prices fall, tariffs rise and industry consolidates
World

Oil companies slash jobs by the thousands as prices fall, tariffs rise and industry consolidates

Shotbydave | E+ | Getty Images U.S. oil companies are cutting jobs by the thousands as they respond to falling crude prices, higher tariffs, and a wave consolidation in the industry. President Donald Trump promised boom times for oil and gas when he took office in January. Instead, the industry has shed 4,000 positions through […]

Read More