The Asian markets closed mostly lower on Wednesday after US reported weak manufacturing data which raised questions about the US economy and the pace of expected interest rate rises by the Federal Reserve. Though the markets got a strong lead from Wall Street, Japanese shares were down in thin trade as investors avoided investing in cyclical shares before big market events this week such as the European Central Bank's policy meeting and the release of US jobs data. Hong Kong stocks rose, bolstered by financial and property shares as well as a sharp rebound in blue-chips in mainland China. China stocks posted their biggest one-day percentage rise in a month as investors rotated out of small caps into blue chips, with property shares surging for the second day on speculation that Beijing was about to announce a new incentive to boost the country's sagging property market.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 3,536.91 | 80.60 | 2.33 |
| Hang Seng | 22,479.69 | 98.34 | 0.44 |
| Jakarta Composite | 4,545.86 | -11.81 | -0.26 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,676.77 | -5.60 | -0.33 |
| Nikkei 225 | 19,938.13 | -74.27 | -0.37 |
| Straits Times | 2,883.64 | 13.38 | 0.47 |
| KOSPI Composite | 2,009.29 | -14.64 | -0.72 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 8,457.40 | -5.90 | -0.07 |