Indonesia Stocks Face Fragile Sentiment After MSCI Warning and Market Rout 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
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U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
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India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
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Asian markets mostly advanced on Wednesday, led by a sharp rebound in Hong Kong stocks, as optimism from Wall Street and strength in local technology names boosted sentiment. However, Japan’s Nikkei 225 saw limited gains, weighed down by a steep drop in Softbank Group after it confirmed the sale of its entire Nvidia stake.
Regional investors took cues from Wall Street’s overnight gains, where cyclical and economically sensitive sectors rallied on hopes that the U.S. government shutdown may soon end. The S&P 500 futures edged up 0.2% as attention turned to a key congressional vote to reopen the government.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 1% in morning trading, reaching its highest level in over a month. Tech and health-tech leaders fueled the rally, with JD Health International surging 5.8% and Alibaba Health Information Technology rising 3.6%. Xiaomi Corp gained 3.8% after data showed its YU7 electric vehicle outsold Tesla’s Model Y in China during October, marking a major milestone for the company’s EV segment. Xiaomi reported total EV sales of 48,654 units, with 33,662 being YU7s, surpassing Tesla’s 26,006 sales in the same period.
Meanwhile, China’s mainland indexes were muted, with the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite trading flat amid reports that Beijing planned to restrict U.S. military access to rare earth materials.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was flat as a 10% plunge in Softbank offset gains from Sony Corp, which rose 3% on strong quarterly earnings and an upgraded annual forecast. Softbank disclosed it sold 31.2 million Nvidia shares worth $5.8 billion in October, overshadowing its better-than-expected Q2 results driven by AI investments.
Elsewhere, South Korea’s KOSPI added 0.8%, Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.2%, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.3%. Futures for India’s Nifty 50 dipped 0.2% following three straight sessions of gains.
