S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Mexico Moves to Increase Tariffs on Asian Imports to Protect Domestic Industries 
Hong Kong Cuts Base Rate as HKMA Follows U.S. Federal Reserve Move 
Fed’s Dovish Tone Sends Dollar Lower as Markets Price In More Rate Cuts 
ASX Shares Slide After ASIC Imposes A$150 Million Capital Requirement 
Oil Prices Rebound in Asia as Venezuela Sanctions Risks Offset Ukraine Peace Hopes 
Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
U.S. Stock Futures Mixed as Tech and AI Stocks Face Pressure Ahead of CPI Data 
BOJ Expected to Deliver December Rate Hike as Economists See Borrowing Costs Rising Through 2025 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Asian Stocks Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Sparks AI Profitability Concerns 
Japan Weighs New Tax Breaks to Boost Corporate Investment Amid Spending Debate 
Asian stocks showed a mixed performance on Wednesday as uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies unsettled global markets. Equities in Australia and Malaysia led losses, while South Korean shares rebounded following a modest recovery in U.S. tech giants.
Wall Street’s major indexes extended their steepest sell-off in months on Tuesday after Trump unexpectedly raised tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50%, only to revert to the original 25% hours later. The abrupt shift rattled investor confidence, fueling market volatility.
Asian markets, highly sensitive to global trade tensions, reacted negatively. As of 02:37 GMT, China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.2%, while the CSI 300 lost 0.3%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index remained largely flat. Malaysia’s KLCI fell 1.5%, and the Philippines’ PSEi dropped 1.2%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 tumbled 1.6% intraday, briefly entering correction territory, before trading 1.3% lower at 7,786.30. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that despite Trump’s decision to apply the 25% tariffs globally, Australia would not impose reciprocal measures.
South Korea’s KOSPI rose 1.6%, driven by strong gains in Samsung Electronics (+2.1%) and SK Hynix (+4.5%). The sector followed a rebound in U.S. tech stocks, including NVIDIA, Broadcom, and Tesla, after heavy losses earlier this week.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.3% after hitting a six-month low in the previous session, while the TOPIX gained 0.9%. India’s Nifty 50 futures edged up 0.2%.
Investors remain cautious as shifting U.S. trade policies add to global market uncertainties, affecting sentiment across Asian markets.
