Asian Daily Market Review

Asian markets were mixed in cautious trade on Tuesday as investors across the region reacted to the overnight losses on Wall Street while also preparing for an upcoming reading on U.S. inflation that could give some clues to upcoming moves from the Federal Reserve. Also in focus was the weakness in the Yen, which remains at levels not seen since 1990.

Japan’s Nikkei was flat on the day, ending with a slight loss of less than 0.1%. Market participants are speculating on whether the Bank of Japan will move to prop up the Yen, which remains unaccountably weak despite the Bank of Japan raising interest rates into negative territory for the first time in 17 years. Shares of Softbank Group fell by 1.2%, while Sony shares finished 0.5% higher. Among the major exporters Toyota and Canon each added 0.5%, while Panasonic shares declined by 0.9%.

In Australia the S&P/ASX 200 fell by 0.4%, with the big four banks contributing to the broader market weakness. Shares of ANZ and NAB were 0.3% lower each, Commonwealth Bank dropped by 0.2%, and Westpac underperformed with a loss of 0.8%. The major miners had a similar performance as BHP shares slipped 0.6% lower and Rio Tinto edged lower by 0.2%.

Mainland Chinese markets managed some small gains as the benchmark Shanghai Composite advanced by 0.2% and the smaller cap Shenzhen Composite ended 0.3% higher. Over in Hong Kong the Hang Seng outpaced the mainland, posting a gain of 0.9% for the session.

In South Korea the Kospi finished 0.7% higher, while Taiwan’s Taiex closed out the day with a 0.3% loss.

Southeast Asian markets were mixed as Singapore’s Straits Times Index led gains for the region with a 1.1% advance, while Malaysia’s KLCI edged lower by 0.1%.