Asia markets close mixed as tariff concerns weigh

Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Wednesday as investors assessed rising global bond yields and the latest developments on the trade front.

Chinese markets were in focus following President Xi Jinping’s speech at a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The event was graced by 26 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.6% to close 25,343.43, while mainland China’s CSI 300 declined by 0.68% to close at 4,459.83.

RatingDog’s China General Services purchasing managers’ index — which captures the country’s services activity — hit a 15-month high thanks to stronger domestic demand and a rebound in foreign orders.

The index, which is compiled by S&P Global, rose to 53.0 in August from 52.6 in July. The 50-point mark separates an expansion from contraction.

Meanwhile, authorities in Hong Kong are investigating if regulatory staff at Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing and the Securities and Futures Commission disclosed information to individuals on upcoming announcements from several listed companies over a few years. At least two individuals were involved in the alleged insider dealings, Bloomberg reported, citing comments from people familiar with the matter.

Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark logged its biggest one-day drop since Apr. 7. The 200-stock benchmark closed 1.82% lower at 8,738.80, dragged by declines in tech, real estate and property stocks.

The country’s second-quarter GDP grew 1.8% year over year, marking the fastest pace of growth since September 2023. The latest reading beat the 1.6% growth expected by economists polled by Reuters, and was higher than the 1.3% seen in the previous quarter.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.88% to close at 41,938.89, while the broader Topix index dropped by 1.07% to 3,048.89.

Yields on Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs) rose, with the yield on 10-year JGBs up 3.3 basis points to 1.636%.

Meanwhile, the yield on 30-year JGBs increased by 8.7 basis point to 3.298%, after hitting a record high earlier in the session. Yields on 20-year JGBs rose 5.5 basis points to 2.686%, after hitting its highest level in 26 years earlier in the session.

Over in South Korea, the Kospi index added 0.38% choppy trade to end the day at 3,184.42, while the small-cap Kosdaq moved up 0.35% to 796.81.

Elsewhere in India, the benchmark Nifty 50 increased by 0.23%, while the BSE Sensex index ticked up 0.12% as of 1:50 a.m. Indian Standard Time (4:20 a.m. ET.)

U.S. equity futures mostly rose after a federal court ruling on an antitrust case on Google-parent Alphabet fueled optimism that tech majors will be able to navigate regulatory threats.

Overnight stateside, all three key benchmarks ended the day lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 249.07 points, or 0.55% to close at 45,295.81. The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 0.69% to settle at 6,415.54, while the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.82% to close at 21,279.63.

— CNBC’s Pia Singh, Sean Conlon and Sarah Min contributed to this report.