Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index

Low angle view of tall buildings in Tokyo, Japan, showcasing diverse architectural styles

George Pachantouris | Moment | Getty Images

South Korea’s Kospi led gains in Asia on Wednesday as investors assess Japan trade data and await U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision.

Markets expect the Fed to keep interest rates steady at 3.5% to 3.75% on Wednesday stateside.

The Kospi gained over 5%, closing at 5,925.03, while the small-cap Kosdaq was up 2.41% to 1,164.38. A five-minute trading halt was activated after the Kospi 200 futures surged 5%, according to an official note.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday called for sweeping capital market reforms to eliminate the “Korea discount” and achieve a “Korea premium,” targeting governance flaws, weak transparency and structural distortions, local media reported.

At a policy meeting, Lee Eog-weon, Financial Services Commission chief, also said the government will use current market volatility as a chance to push bold reforms and strengthen fundamentals. Planned measures include accelerating the delisting of weak firms, tightening rules to curb duplicate listings and revitalizing Kosdaq and Konex.

Index heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose 7.5% and nearly 9%, respectively. Samsung’s gains come even as its unionized workers in South Korea voted to approve a strike, escalating a dispute over bonuses and increasing the risk of disruptions at the world’s largest memory chipmaker.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.87% to 55,239.4 while the Topix added 2.49% to close at 3,717.41 after the country reported that exports climbed 4.2% from a year ago in February, beating estimates.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 1.6% rise. Exports had risen 16.8% jump in the previous month.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.31% to ending the trading day at 8,640.6.

Hong Kong Hang Seng index rose 0.68%, while the CSI 300 rose 0.45% to 4,658.33.

The Middle East war continues to escalate, keeping investors on edge. A fresh wave of attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure has heightened fears of prolonged supply disruptions amid the Iran war.

The incidents followed a drone strike on the world’s largest ultra-sour gas development, a fire at the UAE’s Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, and damage to a tanker near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Stock Chart IconStock chart icon

U.S. stock futures traded near the flat line ahead of the Fed’s policy decision. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 37 points, or 0.07%. S&P 500 futures dropped 0.07%, while Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.02%.

Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 rose as Wall Street built on the momentum seen in the previous session amid developments in the Iran war.

The broad market index closed up 0.25% at 6,716.09, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.47% to finish at 22,479.53. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 46.85 points, or 0.1%, to end at 46,993.26.

— CNBC’s Lim Hui Jie, Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to the report.

Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Decent Holding launches AI senior care arm in China

Artelo Biosciences targets $16.3B glaucoma market

Artelo Biosciences (NASDAQ: ARTL) is expanding into glaucoma with a fully funded investigator-sponsored trial evaluating ART27.13, with first patient enrollment expected in Q2 2026. The move diversifies the pipeline without shareholder dilution and leverages a peripherally selective CB2-targeting mechanism. Key milestones include ongoing Phase 2 CAReS data and a European

Hedge funds suffer worst losses since ‘liberation day’ on Iran war turmoil

A monitor displays stock market information on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 4, 2025. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Hedge funds are getting battered by the fallout from the escalating conflict with Iran, as a sharp spike in oil prices and a broad market selloff unravel crowded trades.

Below 40p, Aston Martin’s shares are sinking fast. How low could they go?

Image source: Getty Images Aston Martin’s (LSE:AML) share price is now (16 March) below 40p. It’s astonishing that the British icon, which floated its stock at £19 in October 2018, has lost so much value. However, could it recover? Or might the group’s shares fall further still? Let’s see. Some mistakenly believe that a falling

2 Unstoppable Tech Stocks to Buy Right Now for Less Than $1,000

Tech stocks have been the best place to find long-term winners over the last few decades. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the current catalyst that could fuel the sector’s growth over the next decade and beyond. You don’t need a huge sum to start building wealth. With $1,000 or less, you can still find competitively positioned

Stocks rising despite oil gains signals a new market message

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Tuesday the stock market is flashing a notable shift, with equities climbing even as oil prices move higher. That’s a break from the typical relationship that has tied elevated energy costs to market weakness since the Iran war broke out. “We keep seeing new patterns,” Cramer said on “Mad Money” from

Stock Market Today (LIVE): Lululemon Downturn Sparks Board Clash

📌 Top story — scroll down for more updates Founder Pressure Meets Weak U.S. Sales 4:23 pm — LULU -0.40% today (-1.38% after hours) Lululemon Athletica (LULU 0.47%) added former Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh to its board as founder Chip Wilson ramps pressure for a broader shake-up. The move comes as the company grapples

Stock Market Today, March 17: Nebius Group Falls After Announcing $3.75 Billion Capital Raise

Today’s Change (-10.78%) $-13.99 Current Price $115.86 Key Data Points Market Cap $33B Day’s Range $113.13 – $121.40 52wk Range $18.31 – $141.10 Volume 2.9M Avg Vol 13M Gross Margin -765.63% Nebius Group (NBIS 10.78%), an AI-centric cloud platform infrastructure provider, closed at $116.25, down 10.47%. Shares declined after the company announced plans to raise

Should You Buy Nvidia Stock While It’s Under $200?

Investors are hesitant to invest in tech stocks these days, even Nvidia (NVDA 0.74%), whose artificial intelligence (AI) chips have made it a top growth stock to own in recent years. On Monday, the stock was trading around $185, which is down around 13% from its 52-week high of more than $212 that it reached

Is Broadcom Stock Going to $460?

Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) has been a phenomenal artificial intelligence (AI) stock over the past three years, rising 449% thanks to rising demand for the company’s processors as large tech companies fight for AI dominance. And more gains could be on the way. Analysts’ average price target for Broadcom stock over the next 12 to 18

Why Value and Growth Funds May Be Hurting Your Returns

If you’re investing in traditional value or growth index funds, you might be unknowingly holding stocks that are neither value nor growth—and they’re likely dragging down your returns. A recent paper from Research Affiliates reveals a structural flaw in how the investment industry constructs style indices and proposes a compelling alternative. What the Researchers Examined

Whatever happened to the stock market crash?

Image source: Getty Images Investors who expected the Iran war to trigger a stock market crash may be surprised by its relative calm. What’s happening out there? First, let’s get technical here. A crash is defined as a drop of 20%, in a relatively short space of time. A drop of 10% is a correction.

Why oil shocks turn markets into a game of whack-a-mole

As oil flirts with $100 again, investors are falling back on a familiar script: higher crude, higher inflation. That reaction is not wrong. Higher crude oil (CL=F, BZ=F) raises the odds of higher prices flowing through the economy. But oil shocks rarely stay boxed inside the inflation story. They spread. “There is always a release

VYMI: Could This International ETF Make You a Millionaire?

If you want to make $1 million from stock investing, one of the simplest strategies is to buy a diversified portfolio of stocks and keep buying into the stock market over many years. And you don’t have to stick to U.S. stocks to become a millionaire. The Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI +0.83%)

Why Plug Power Stock Beat the Market by 7% Last Week

It has been a tough year for Plug Power (PLUG +4.19%) stock. At one point, shares were down in value by nearly 20%. But in recent sessions, shares have recovered strongly. In fact, Plug Power stock outperformed the S&P 500 index by 7% last week alone. What is behind the company’s resurgence? One catalyst in

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x