Most of Asian markets conclude Wednesday’s trade in red

18 Sep 2013 Evaluate

Most of the Asian markets concluded Wednesday’s trade in red ahead of close of the much-anticipated US Federal Reserve policy meeting. The Fed will wrap up its meeting later Wednesday, with many investors expecting the central bank to start reducing the scale of its bond-buying program - a process that has become known as tapering. South Korean markets will be closed from today i.e. September 18 for the rest of the week for the Chuseok holidays. Trade will resume on September 23. The average prices of new homes in 70 Chinese cities in August rose to their highest levels so far this year, spurred by unabated home-buying in major cities even as analysts called for more sustainable policies to tame price gains. Compared with a year earlier, growth in median home prices in 70 Chinese cities accelerated in August for the seventh straight month after a turnaround in January, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed. In Hong Kong, total goods exports volume rose 8.8% in July over a year earlier, while the volume of goods imports rose 8.5%, the Census & Statistics Department reported. The volume of Hong Kong’s goods re-exports for the month rose 9.2%, while domestic exports fell 7.9%. Total export volume to the Mainland rose 13.1% compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Business sentiment among Asia’s top companies deteriorated in the third quarter, led by businesses in export engines such as China and South Korea, ending three consecutive quarters of improving sentiment. The Thomson Reuters/Insead Asia Business Sentiment Index fell to 66 in the third quarter from 71 in the second quarter when it reached the highest level in more than a year. An index reading above 50 indicates an overall positive outlook. Some of the weakest readings came from north Asia’s economies of China, South Korea and Taiwan, and regional trading hub Singapore, all of which turned in readings of 50 - highlighting the impact of a stuttering global economy.

Asian Indices

Last Trade

Change in Points

Change in %

Shanghai Composite

2191.85

6.29

0.29

Hang Seng

23117.45

-63.07

-0.27

Jakarta Composite

4463.25

-54.37

-1.20

KLSE Composite

1771.40

-3.54

-0.20

Nikkei 225

14505.36

193.69

1.35

Straits Times

3193.85

12.93

0.41

KOSPI Composite

-

-

-

Taiwan Weighted

8209.18

-40.60

-0.49

© 2026 The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. MoneyWorks4Me ® is a registered trademark of The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.

×