Asia-Pacific markets open mixed as investors parse Japan trade data

Asia-Pacific markets open mixed as investors parse Japan trade data


Mount Fuji and the Shinjuku skyline in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell Wednesday as investors parsed trade data that just came out of Japan.

Japan’s exports in November grew 6.1% year on year, data from the country’s finance ministry released Wednesday showed. The growth sharply beat expectations of an average 4.8% rise estimated by economists polled by Reuters, and was higher than the 3.6% seen in the previous month.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.14%, while the Topix declined 0.37%. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.5%, and the small-cap Kosdaq climbed 0.66%.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.21%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were at 25,219, pointing to a flat open, compared with the HSI’s last close of 25,235.41.



Source

China’s AI and robotics push isn’t enough to kickstart its economy, leaving growth more exposed to trade risks
World

China’s AI and robotics push isn’t enough to kickstart its economy, leaving growth more exposed to trade risks

A tower crane stands above residential buildings in an urban district in the afternoon light, on January 9, 2026, in Chongqing, China. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s push into high-tech industries isn’t large enough to offset the country’s property slump, leaving the economy more exposed to trade tensions, […]

Read More
Malaysia and Indonesia block Elon Musk’s Grok due to obscene, non-consensual content
World

Malaysia and Indonesia block Elon Musk’s Grok due to obscene, non-consensual content

Nikolas Kokovlis | Nurphoto | Getty Images Malaysia and Indonesia blocked access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok over the weekend due to concerns that the tool was being used to generate non-consensual, sexually explicit and obscene content.  Malaysian regulators ordered temporary restrictions be placed on the chatbot from xAI on Sunday following “repeated […]

Read More
Japan plans to dissolve parliament with possible snap election in February: NHK
World

Japan plans to dissolve parliament with possible snap election in February: NHK

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media after a telephone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, at her residence in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 2, 2026. Kyodo | Via Reuters Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning to dissolve the country’s Lower House later this month and opt for a snap election likely in […]

Read More