Mt. Fuji and Shinjuku skyline in Tokyo, Friday, February 14, 2025. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Wednesday as investors assessed trade data from Japan and its new leadership.
Japan’s exports rose 4.2% year-on-year in September, halting a decline for the first time in four months, as shipments to Asia showed solid growth, partially offsetting a decline in exports to the United States.
However, exports fell short of the 4.6% growth expected by analysts, according to the median forecast in a Reuters survey of economists.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her new cabinet were sworn in on Tuesday, with Shinjiro Koizumi, her former rival in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership race, appointed as defense minister and Satsuki Katayama as Japan’s first female finance minister.
Japanese Nikkei Stock Average Ending the day at 49,307.79, just below the flat line, the TOPIX index rose 0.52% to 3,266.43, setting a new closing price record.
shares of Softbank The stock plunged more than 10%, with losses limited to about 5%. Shares rose 8.5% on Monday.
The Korean market rebounded from the decline across the region. Kospi It set a new record of 3,883.68, an increase of 1.56%, marking its sixth straight session win. The small-cap Kosdaq rose 0.76% to 879.15.
LG Chem’s stock price soared 13% after Palliser Capital urged the company to revamp its board of directors and buy back its own shares, Reuters reported.
hong kong Hang Seng Index It fell 0.94% to close at 25,781.77. lovebu doll maker stock pop martThe company, which reported a 250% increase in third-quarter revenue on Tuesday, rose 2.4%.
Mainland China’s CSI300 index ended 0.33% lower at 4,592.57.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.71% to 9,030.
Indian markets are closed for public holidays.
Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average set a new closing record, boosted by strong earnings reports from companies like Coca-Cola and 3M, while the S&P 500 was nearly flat.
The 30-stock index rose 0.47% to close at 46,924.74, and briefly exceeded 47,000 during trading.
The market-wide S&P 500 ended just above flatline at 6,735.35, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index lagged behind, dropping 0.16% to 22,953.67.
—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
