Asian markets ended mostly lower on Wednesday, even after the US Senate approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. Meanwhile investors are awaiting US consumer inflation data later in the day for additional clues on the outlook for monetary policy. Seoul stocks ended lower as a record-high number of coronavirus cases dented investors' sentiment. However, Japanese shares extended gains, supported by strong earnings from Bridgestone and other firms, while overnight gains of the Dow Jones index also benefited market sentiment.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,532.62 | 2.69 | 0.08 |
Hang Seng | 26,660.16 | 54.54 | 0.20 |
Jakarta Composite | - | - | - |
KLSE Composite | 1,504.44 | 7.71 | 0.52 |
Nikkei 225 | 28,070.51 | 182.36 | 0.65 |
Straits Times | 3,180.00 | -27.36 | -0.85 |
KOSPI Composite | 3,220.62 | -22.57 | -0.70 |
Taiwan Weighted | 17,227.18 | -96.46 | -0.56 |