Asian markets settled mostly down on Wednesday, tracking Wall Street’s overnight losses and as hotter than expected US inflation data for January damped hopes of early and deeper Fed rate cuts this year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the consumer price index climbed 3.1% year over year in January, beating estimates at 2.9%. Japanese markets declined from a 34-year high after Yen's rapid depreciation adds a further complication for the BoJ as it considers the best timing for its first interest rate hike since 2007. However, Hong Kong shares gained as trading resumed after the Lunar New Year holiday.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | -- | -- | -- |
| Hang Seng | 15,879.38 | 132.80 | 0.84 |
| Jakarta Composite | -- | -- | -- |
| KLSE Composite | 1,529.33 | -2.04 | -0.13 |
| Nikkei 225 | 37,703.32 | -260.65 | -0.69 |
| Straits Times | 3,139.07 | -2.80 | -0.09 |
| KOSPI Composite | 2,620.42 | -29.22 | -1.12 |
| Taiwan Weighted | -- | -- | -- |
