Asian markets ended mostly in red on Tuesday, with the benchmark index heading for its biggest monthly decline since May 2012, amid heightened unrest in Hong Kong and speculation over the timing of US interest-rate increases. Indonesia’s rupiah fell the most in Asia this month as foreign funds pulled money from local stocks in preparation for an increase in US interest rates. China’s vast factory sector showed signs of steadying in September as export orders climbed, easing fears of a hard landing but pointing to a still-sluggish economy facing considerable risks. The final HSBC/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index(PMI) hovered at 50.2 in September, unchanged from the August reading which was a three-month low, but lower than a preliminary reading of 50.5. A sub-index measuring new export orders, a gauge of external demand, expanded to a 4-1/2-year-high of 54.5, though domestic demand appeared soft.
Japan’s retail sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.2%, from 0.5% in the preceding month while Japan’s industrial production fell to a seasonally adjusted -1.5%, from 0.4% in the preceding month. The total work force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment in Japan during the previous month fell to a seasonally adjusted 3.5%, from 3.8% in the preceding month. Japanese Household Spending rose to a seasonally adjusted -4.7%, from -5.9% in the preceding month while Japanese Housing Starts rose to a seasonally adjusted -12.5%, from -14.1% in the preceding quarter. Thai Industrial Production rose to a seasonally adjusted -2.7%, from -5.3% in the preceding month whose figure was revised down from -5.2%.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2363.87 | 6.16 | 0.26 |
Hang Seng | 22932.98 | -296.23 | -1.28 |
Jakarta Composite | 5137.58 | -4.43 | -0.09 |
KLSE Composite | 1846.31 | -0.03 | - |
Nikkei 225 | 16173.52 | -137.12 | -0.84 |
Straits Times | 3276.74 | -12.98 | -0.39 |
KOSPI Composite | 2020.09 | -6.51 | -0.32 |
Taiwan Weighted | 8966.92 | 6.16 | 0.07 |