Asian stock markets showed mixed trends in early trade on Wednesday, with gains in Japan and South Korea offset by weakness in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
Japan’s benchmark index Nikkei edged higher by 145.58 points, or 0.23%, to trade at 62,888.15 as of 8 AM IST. South Korea’s KOSPI also posted strong gains, rising 75.3 points or 0.99% to 7,718.45.
In Greater China, the Shanghai Composite remained largely flat at 4,214.211, down marginally by 0.01%, while the Shenzhen Index gained 22.799 points or 0.14% to 15,847.72. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI) declined 100.51 points or 0.38% to 26,247.4.
Taiwan markets witnessed sharper weakness, with the Taiwan Weighted Index falling 717.32 points or 1.71% to 41,181.
Singapore’s STI traded higher by 0.7% at 4,980.49, whereas the SGX-CNBC China Growth Index slipped 0.63% to 1,750.855.
Australia’s ASX 200 declined 19.1 points or 0.22% to 8,651.6. New Zealand’s NZX 50 also traded lower, down 52.29 points or 0.4% at 13,028.04.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s benchmark index fell 0.44% to 1,742.79, while Thailand’s .SETI remained unchanged at 1,483.56.