Hong Kong (AFP) – Asian markets mostly fell Wednesday morning, mirroring a rout of US tech titans the previous day as investors await signals of an interest rate cut in the world’s largest economy. The dips also came after top US and European military leaders met in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the mechanics of a possible Ukraine peace deal. Recent days have seen a whirlwind of diplomatic efforts to resolve the protracted war after President Donald Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Eyes are now on potential face-to-face talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has said he is ready for such a meeting. The negotiations have sparked volatility in oil markets, which fell back Tuesday from gains made on Monday. Tokyo’s Nikkei dropped sharply during Wednesday morning trading, while shares in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taipei, and Bangkok also fell. Shanghai, Sydney, and Manila rose.
The previous day on Wall Street saw several major technology firms lose significant market share, including Nvidia, Palantir, and Oracle. The selloffs come amid increasing unease over a prolonged rally in tech stocks this year despite a range of uncertainties facing the global economy. Among the challenges are biting tariffs unleashed by Trump on major US trading partners this year.
Official data showed Wednesday morning that Japanese exports suffered their steepest drop in more than four years last month. Meanwhile, investors are eagerly awaiting a speech on Friday by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the annual retreat of global central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Traders also hope Powell will provide more clues about a widely expected interest rate cut at the Fed’s next policy meeting in September, after data last week provided a mixed picture about inflation in the United States.
“Powell’s Wyoming speech is being framed as a high-wire act,” wrote Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management in a note. “Too dovish, and he risks stoking long-end inflation fears; too stern, and he risks yanking the oxygen mask off equities already trading in rarified air.”
– Key figures at around 0215 GMT –
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.6 percent at 42835.84
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 25045.13
Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,731.51
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1625 from $1.1646 on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3465 from $1.3489
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 147.60 yen from 147.64 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 86.34 pence from 86.33 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.6 percent at $62.72 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.1 percent at $65.86 per barrel
New York – Dow: FLAT at 44,922.27 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 9,189.22 (close)
© 2024 AFP
