Asian markets ended mostly higher on Wednesday, supported by better-than-expected corporate earnings on Wall Street. South Korea’s Kospi index rallied over 3% as concerns over artificial intelligence spending and investments eased. Separate data showed South Korea's producer prices rose 7.7% year-on-year in September, down from a 7.9% increase in August. Japanese market gained after data showed Japan's exports rose 16.7% year-on-year in September, extending growth to a 13th straight month but falling below the median market forecast of 20.1%. While the US Federal Reserve is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged next week, markets still anticipate a possible rate hike in December 2026. However, rising US Treasury yields and higher oil prices limited further gains. Meanwhile, Chinese and Hong Kong markets dropped after CATL, the world's largest electric vehicle battery maker, reported third-quarter results that fell short of market expectations.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,713.03 | -22.34 | -0.60 |
Hang Seng | 23,651.87 | -215.87 | -0.90 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,328.36 | 49.47 | 0.93 |
KLSE Composite | 1,602.27 | 2.69 | 0.17 |
Nikkei 225 | 64,621.24 | 545.82 | 0.85 |
Straits Times | 5,437.99 | 33.97 | 0.63 |
KOSPI Composite | 5,735.66 | 182.92 | 3.29 |
Taiwan Weighted | 46,887.77 | 594.84 | 1.28 |
