Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed as investors look ahead to U.S. Fed chair Powell’s speech

Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed as investors look ahead to U.S. Fed chair Powell’s speech


SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 14, 2025 – Tourists are visiting the Bund in Shanghai, China on August 14, 2025.

Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Friday as investors await U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the central bank’s annual economic symposium, which could offer clues into the path of interest rates.

South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.22% and the small-cap Kosdaq was 0.94% higher.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1% at the open, while the Topix rose 0.44%.

The country’s core inflation rate cooled to 3.1% in July, coming down from 3.3% the month before. The figure — which strips out costs for fresh food — was higher than the 3% expected by economists polled by Reuters. Rice inflation eased to 90.7% in July, following two months of inflation surging past the 100% mark.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was flat after the index crossed the 9,000 mark for the first time Thursday.

Mainland China’s CSI 300 was flat at the open, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.33%.

Overnight stateside, stocks fell broadly Thursday, with the S&P 500 sliding for the fifth day in a row.

The broad-market index shed 0.4% and closed at 6,370.17, while the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.34% and settled at 21,100.31. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 152.81 points, or 0.34%, ending at 44,785.50.

Fed funds futures are pricing in a nearly 74% likelihood of the central bank cutting rates at its next policy gathering in September, according to CME’s FedWatch tool.

— CNBC’s Yun Li and Pia Singh contributed to this report.



Source

AI and energy-focused SPAC raises 5 million and taps Nvidia, Prologis execs as advisors for deal hunt
World

AI and energy-focused SPAC raises $175 million and taps Nvidia, Prologis execs as advisors for deal hunt

Key Points Dynamix Corporation III has raised an upsized $175 million in an initial public offering, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The SPAC may also opt to issue additional shares, raising a total of $201.25 million that will be used to acquire a company in the AI, energy or digital asset class sector. […]

Read More
European Central Bank holds rates steady as economy shows resilience
World

European Central Bank holds rates steady as economy shows resilience

The European Central Bank has kept interest rates on hold, as expected, at its latest meeting on Thursday. The central bank held its key deposit facility rate at 2% for the third consecutive time, having last cut rates in June. The trim, which coincided with euro zone inflation hitting the ECB’s target rate of 2%, was […]

Read More
Jeep maker Stellantis stock falls 6% after issuing warning on one-off costs
World

Jeep maker Stellantis stock falls 6% after issuing warning on one-off costs

A new Jeep Wrangler 4-Door Sahara 4×4 vehicle displayed for sale at a Stellantis NV dealership in Miami, Florida, US, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty Images Stellantis on Thursday issued a warning on one-off costs through the second half of the year as the embattled automaker seeks to […]

Read More