Europe Confronts Rising Competitive Pressure as China Accelerates Export-Led Growth 
IMF Deputy Dan Katz Visits China as Key Economic Review Nears 
Dollar Slides to Five-Week Low as Asian Stocks Struggle and Markets Bet on Fed Rate Cut 
China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai 
Asian Markets Mixed as RBI Cuts Rates and BOJ Signals Possible Hike 
Asian Currencies Edge Higher as Markets Look to Fed Rate Cut; Rupee Steadies Near Record Lows 
European Stocks Rise as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data 
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await Fed Rate Decision; Indian Rupee Hits New Record Low 
Oil Prices Rise as Ukraine Targets Russian Energy Infrastructure 
Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data 
Dollar Weakens Ahead of Expected Federal Reserve Rate Cut 
Oil Prices Hold Steady as Ukraine Tensions and Fed Cut Expectations Support Market 
Asian Currencies Steady as Rupee Hits Record Low Amid Fed Rate Cut Bets 
RBI Cuts Repo Rate to 5.25% as Inflation Cools and Growth Outlook Strengthens 
BOJ Faces Pressure for Clarity, but Neutral Rate Estimates Likely to Stay Vague 
Asia’s IPO Market Set for Strong Growth as China and India Drive Investor Diversification 
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data 
Asian stocks traded mixed on Wednesday, supported by record highs on Wall Street while Australian shares declined after inflation data reduced prospects of near-term rate cuts. Investor sentiment was dominated by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, widely expected to conclude with a 25-basis-point rate cut later in the day.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged over 2% to a new record of 51,311.47, driven by strong gains in chipmakers and AI-related stocks. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) jumped 5% overnight after announcing plans to build seven AI supercomputers for the U.S. Department of Energy. The broader TOPIX index remained steady. In South Korea, the KOSPI hit an all-time high of 4,078.99, with SK Hynix (KS:000660) soaring on record third-quarter earnings fueled by booming demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI servers.
Market optimism in Japan was further supported by a new U.S.-Japan rare earths agreement signed during former President Donald Trump’s visit to Tokyo. Attention also turned to Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, where discussions are expected to focus on easing trade tensions and avoiding new tariffs.
China’s blue-chip CSI 300 rose 0.5%, and the Shanghai Composite added 0.3%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped 0.3%. Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped 0.3%, and Nifty 50 futures edged 0.2% higher.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.8% after third-quarter CPI data came in above expectations. Headline inflation rose 1.3% for the quarter, while the trimmed mean climbed 1.0%, bringing the annual rate to 3.0%. The stronger inflation figures prompted traders to delay bets on rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia, with Westpac analysts noting that even a February cut “is far from certain” following the upside surprise.
