Asian Markets Trade Mostly Lower

Market Overview - Asian stock markets are mostly lower, influenced by negative cues from Wall Street and new tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on various goods starting October 1 [1] - The Australian stock market is slightly higher, with the S&P/ASX 200 index above 8,750, supported by gains in iron miners and financial stocks [2][3] Australian Stocks - The S&P/ASX 200 Index is up 7.30 points or 0.08 percent to 8,780.30, after fluctuating between 8,746.30 and 8,781.10 [3] - Major miners like BHP Group are gaining almost 2 percent, while Mineral Resources and Rio Tinto are up more than 1 percent each [3] - Oil stocks show mixed performance, with Origin Energy down almost 2 percent and Woodside Energy down 0.4 percent, while Santos and Beach Energy are slightly up [4] Technology and Financial Sector - In the tech sector, Afterpay-owner Block is down 3.5 percent, and other tech stocks like Zip and Appen are also declining [4] - Among the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, and ANZ are up 0.1 to 0.5 percent, while National Australia Bank is gaining almost 1 percent [5] Japanese Market - The Japanese market is modestly lower, with the Nikkei 225 Index down 125.14 points or 0.27 percent to 45,629.79 [7] - Major companies like SoftBank Group are losing almost 3 percent, while automakers Toyota and Honda are slightly up [8] Economic Indicators - Overall inflation in the Tokyo region of Japan increased by 2.5 percent year-on-year in September, slightly below expectations [13] - Core CPI also rose by 2.5 percent year-on-year, missing forecasts for a 2.6 percent increase [14] Other Markets - South Korea and Taiwan are down 2.2 and 1.9 percent, respectively, while Singapore is up 1.1 percent [15] - On Wall Street, major averages ended lower, with the Nasdaq down 113.16 points or 0.5 percent [16] Notable Company News - Vulcan Energy Resources shares jumped more than 15 percent after signing a $179 million contract for a geothermal power plant in Germany [6]