Asian markets traded mostly lower in early deals on Wednesday, pressured by risk aversion ahead to later today’s US CPI data which could influence the scale of the Fed's expected rate cut next week. Market anticipates dip in the rates of US consumer and producer price growth comparing previous year. Sharp sell offs in chip and auto sector stocks saddled indices. Hang Seng is trading near its five week low rate and Shanghai index is near its seven-month low amidst mounting concerns about deflation risks of world’s second largest economy. Moreover, persisting trade frictions of China with the West led by the US also dulled market sentiments. Meanwhile, US House on Monday passed a bill to restrict business with some Chinese biotech companies for national security reasons. Japan’s Nikkei tumbled amidst woes that BoJ might take hawkish stance and on dip of manufacturing numbers of the country to a seven-month low in September. Moreover, rally in local currency yen also restricted foreign currency inflows.
Nikkei 225 tumbled by 582.77 points 1.61% to 35,576.39, Hang Seng dipped by 241.67 points 1.42% to 16,992.42, KOSPI Index lower by 19.32 points or 0.77% to 2,504.11, Jakarta Composite diminished by 7.82 points or 0.10% to 7,753.57, Shanghai Composite declined by 25.34 points or 0.93% to 2,718.85 and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI narrowed by 13.14 points or 0.79% to 1,647.21.
On the flip side, Straits Times up by 14.83 points 0.42% to 3,527.50, and Taiwan Weighted rose by 9.82 points or 0.05% to 21,073.90.