Asia-Pacific markets set for mixed open; Australia inflation data in focus

Asia-Pacific markets set for mixed open; Australia inflation data in focus


The Australian flag is in front of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, on January 14, 2024. 

Kristof Z. Markovics | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets were set for a mixed open Wednesday after key Wall Street benchmarks rose, with the Nasdaq Composite closing at a new record high as tech stocks gained.

Traders in Asia will assess consumer price data out of Australia, with inflation for the quarter ended in September expected to fall to 2.9%, down from 3.8% in the previous quarter.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 opened 0.23% lower.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a higher open for the market, with the contract in Chicago at 39,255 and its counterpart in Osaka at 39,160 compared to the index’s previous close of 38,903.68.

Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 20,746, higher than the index’s last close of 20,701.14.

In the U.S., the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.78% to close at a record high of 18,712.75.

The S&P 500 added 0.16% to close at 5,832.92, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154.52 points, or 0.36%, to end at 42,233.05.

— CNBC’s Hakyung Kim and Alex Harring contributed to this report.



Source

U.S. forces sink 16 Iranian minelayers as reports say Tehran is mining the Strait of Hormuz
World

U.S. forces sink 16 Iranian minelayers as reports say Tehran is mining the Strait of Hormuz

In this handout photo obtained from the U.S. Defence Department, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails alongside Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 6, 2026. Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class […]

Read More
Trump says U.S. will build first refinery in 50 years with investment by India’s Reliance Industries
World

Trump says U.S. will build first refinery in 50 years with investment by India’s Reliance Industries

U.S. President Donald Trump takes a question as he speaks during a press conference at Trump National Doral Miami in Miami, Florida, U.S., March 9, 2026. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. will get its first oil refinery in 50 years, funded by investments from Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s […]

Read More
CNBC Daily Open: Traders on edge despite reserve hopes
World

CNBC Daily Open: Traders on edge despite reserve hopes

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 9, 2026. Brendan McDermid | Reuters What you need to know today Oil continued its wild ride Tuesday, closing more than 11% lower, as traders believed a group of countries would tap emergency crude reserves to mitigate […]

Read More