Asia-Pacific markets open mostly higher as investors await key policy meeting in China

Asia-Pacific markets open mostly higher as investors await key policy meeting in China


BEIJING, CHINA – SEPTEMBER 04: Buildings and vehicles are seen in the central business district during the rush hour on September 4, 2020 in Beijing, China.

Zhang Qiao | Visual China Group | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher Wednesday, breaking ranks with major Wall Street benchmarks that declined ahead of key inflation data that could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision.

South Korea reported seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 2.7% in November, according to Statistics Korea, unchanged from the previous month.

China is reportedly kicking off its annual economic work conference on Wednesday to outline its economic policies and growth targets for next year.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 started the day 0.31% lower.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 as well as the broad-based Topix opened nearly flat.

In South Korea, the blue-chip Kospi rose 0.11% and small-cap Kosdaq jumped over 2%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were at 20,435, higher than the HSI’s last close of 20,311.28.

Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell for a fourth straight day, losing 154.10 points, or 0.35%, to 44,247.83.

The S&P 500 fell 0.3% to end at 6,034.91, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.25% to 19,687.24. Both indexes fell for a second straight day.

Investors await the U.S. consumer price index report for November, due on Wednesday, which could influence the Federal Reserve interest-rate path at its policy meeting from Dec. 17 to Dec. 18.

The closely-watched economic index is forecast to have risen slightly to 2.7% 12-month inflation rate, accelerating by 0.1 percentage point from the previous month, and above the Fed’s targeting annual inflation at 2%, according to the Dow Jones estimates.

— CNBC’s Sean Sonlon and Brian Evans contributed to this report.



Source

Trump slams Israel’s prosecutors over Netanyahu corruption trial
World

Trump slams Israel’s prosecutors over Netanyahu corruption trial

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 7, 2025.  Leah Millis | Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at prosecutors in Israel over the corruption trial that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced, saying Washington, having […]

Read More
France is betting Eutelsat can become Europe’s answer to Starlink — but experts aren’t convinced
World

France is betting Eutelsat can become Europe’s answer to Starlink — but experts aren’t convinced

France views Eutelsat as a strategic asset in the EU’s push for technological sovereignty. Benoit Tessier | AFP via Getty Images For years, France’s Eutelsat has been trying to build a European alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite broadband service. The company merged with British satellite venture OneWeb in 2023, consolidating the region’s satellite communications […]

Read More
The global week ahead: A hectic half first heralds a volatile second
World

The global week ahead: A hectic half first heralds a volatile second

“Politics isn’t wagging the tail – it’s shaking the entire dog.” These strong words from one wealth manager to CNBC last week capture a hectic first half of trading. They also set the stage for an uncertain second half, where “geoeconomics” looks set to remain a dominant market force.   This week, expect attention to […]

Read More