Asian markets ended mostly in red on Wednesday, after the International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for global growth. The IMF however stated that Japan’s gross domestic product will expand 0.8 percent next year, compared with a 1.1 percent advance predicted in July. China’s benchmark stock index rose to a 19-month high, led by property developers, after policy makers eased real-estate curbs for the first time since the global financial crisis. Growth in China’s services sector weakened slightly in September as new business cooled, reinforcing signs of a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy that could prompt more stimulus measures. The services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) compiled by HSBC/Markit pulled back to 53.5 in September from a 17-month high of 54.1 in August.
Japan’s Current Account rose to a seasonally adjusted 0.13T, from 0.10T in the preceding month while Japan’s Economy Watchers Current Index remained unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 47.4 compared to the preceding month. Philippines CPI rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.1%, from 0.3% in the preceding quarter.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2382.79 | 18.92 | 0.80 |
Hang Seng | 23,263.33 | -159.19 | -0.68 |
Jakarta Composite | 4958.52 | -74.32 | -1.48 |
KLSE Composite | 1824.32 | -9.22 | -0.50 |
Nikkei 225 | 15595.98 | -187.85 | -1.19 |
Straits Times | 3226.71 | -17.28 | -0.53 |
KOSPI Composite | 1965.25 | -7.66 | -0.39 |
Taiwan Weighted | 8955.18 | -85.63 | -0.95 |