Asian markets ended mixed on Wednesday as investors awaited cues from Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday, where he may give a hint on the future direction of US monetary policy. Traders are also keenly waiting on the G7 summit to be held in southwestern France on August 24-26 for clues on what additional steps policymakers will take to bolster growth. Japanese shares ended lower as trade tensions resurfaced between US and China and political uncertainty in Italy and Britain added to concerns over the state of the global economy. Meanwhile, renewed worries about a global recession too weighed on risk assets. Chinese stocks ended flat as Trump toughened his trade rhetoric on Tuesday, saying he had to confront China over trade even if it caused short-term harm to the US economy because Beijing had been cheating Washington for decades.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,880.33 | 0.33 | 0.01 |
Hang Seng | 26,270.04 | 38.50 | 0.15 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,252.97 | -42.77 | -0.68 |
KLSE Composite | 1,594.59 | -8.16 | -0.51 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,618.57 | -58.65 | -0.28 |
Straits Times | 3,122.57 | -13.38 | -0.43 |
KOSPI Composite | 1,964.65 | 4.40 | 0.22 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,525.80 | 3.30 | 0.03 |
