Asian markets ended mostly lower on Wednesday as investors cautiously focusing to the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision due later in the day for clues on the monetary policy outlook after the world's largest economy adopted a more accommodative approach to inflation. South Korean shares snapped a four-day winning streak on profit taking. Though, Japanese shares ended higher as Yoshihide Suga was elected Japan's prime minister in a parliamentary vote, succeeding Shinzo Abe, but the Japanese yen’s surge pressured exporters. Japan posted a merchandise trade surplus of 248.299 billion yen in August, following the 11.6 billion yen surplus in July. Exports were down 14.8 percent on year to 5.232 trillion yen, after sinking 19.2 percent in the previous month. Imports tumbled an annual 20.8 percent to 4.984 trillion yen following the 22.3 percent decline a month earlier.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,283.92 | -11.76 | -0.36 |
Hang Seng | 24,725.63 | -7.13 | -0.03 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,058.48 | -42.39 | -0.83 |
KLSE Composite | - | - | - |
Nikkei 225 | 23,475.53 | 20.64 | 0.09 |
Straits Times | 2,505.15 | 19.32 | 0.78 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,435.92 | -7.66 | -0.31 |
Taiwan Weighted | 12,976.76 | 131.11 | 1.02 |
