Market Overview - Asian stocks declined ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision, with expectations of a 25 basis-point rate cut despite divisions within the committee [1] - The U.S. dollar faced pressure in Asian trade, while gold traded below $4,200 per ounce and oil prices remained steady after a 2 percent drop in the previous sessions [2] Regional Indices - China's Shanghai Composite index fell by 0.37 percent to 3,909.52, following the Politburo's announcement of plans to enhance domestic demand for 2026 through proactive fiscal and loose monetary policies [2] - Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 1.29 percent to 25,434.23, primarily due to declines in tech stocks [3] - Japan's Nikkei average increased by 0.14 percent to 50,655.10, while the broader Topix index remained relatively unchanged at 3,384.92 ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy decision [3] - Seoul's Kospi average decreased by 0.27 percent to 4,143.55, ending a two-session winning streak amid uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve's policy direction [4] Sector Performance - Tech shares, including SoftBank Group, Advantest, and Tokyo Electron, saw gains after Nvidia received permission to ship its H200 AI chip to China, leading to a 25 percent cut of sales [4] - Semiconductor and auto shares experienced declines due to profit-taking after recent strong gains, with Samsung Electronics down 1 percent, SK Hynix down 1.9 percent, and Hyundai Motor down 2.7 percent [5] - Australian markets fell as the Reserve Bank of Australia maintained interest rates, citing inflation risks, with the S&P/ASX 200 dropping 0.45 percent to 8,585.90 [5] - New Zealand's S&P/NZX-50 index decreased by 0.23 percent to 13,454.78, reversing earlier gains [6] U.S. Market Impact - U.S. stocks ended lower as Treasury yields rose due to inflation concerns, with the Dow down 0.5 percent, the Nasdaq Composite down 0.1 percent, and the S&P 500 down 0.4 percent [6]
Asian Shares Slide Amid Anxiety Before Fed Decision