Asian markets settled mostly lower on Wednesday as escalating US-Iran tensions pushed Brent crude prices and global bond yields higher. Besides, Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr’s comments have sparked fears of interest hike among investors. He indicated that he would back a rate hike if inflation doesn't cool quickly. Market participants were cautiously awaiting US jobs data for more clues on the interest-rate path ahead of the Federal Reserve’s upcoming meeting. The US ADP private payrolls data for August 2026 is scheduled to be released today and the US nonfarm payrolls report is due on Friday. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi fell near 4% as the country’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.1% in August 2026, moving further above the central bank’s 2% target.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,941.39 | -38.50 | -0.97 |
Hang Seng | 25,311.21 | -18.52 | -0.07 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,595.78 | -4.16 | -0.06 |
KLSE Composite | 1,708.74 | 8.20 | 0.48 |
Nikkei 225 | 64,325.64 | -1,889.70 | -2.85 |
Straits Times | 5,744.11 | 33.74 | 0.59 |
KOSPI Composite | 6,562.72 | -273.08 | -3.99 |
Taiwan Weighted | 46,164.72 | -784.00 | -1.67 |
