Asian shares ended mixed on Thursday amid escalating China-Japan tensions and ahead of key U.S. jobs data due this week that could influence the Federal Reserve’s rate trajectory.
Oil ticked higher in Asian trade after the U.S. said it plans to control Venezuela’s oil sales ‘indefinitely’. Gold extended overnight losses, pressured by a firm dollar.
China’s Shanghai Composite index finished marginally lower at 4,082.98 after a choppy session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined 1.17 percent to 26,149.31, dragged down by basic materials and technology stocks.
Japanese markets tumbled as trade friction with China weighed on chemical stocks and data showed real wages fell in November 2025 at the fastest pace since January 2025.
The Nikkei average dipped 1.63 percent to 51,117.26 while the broader Topix index closed 0.77 percent lower at 3,484.34.
Shin-Etsu Chemical shares slumped 4 percent as China launched an anti-dumping probe into Japanese chipmaking chemicals.
Technology stocks also lost ground, with semiconductor-linked names such as SoftBank, Advantest and Tokyo Electron falling 2-8 percent.
South Korea’s Kospi average gave up early gains to end on a flat note. Shares of Samsung Electronics fell 1.6 percent despite the country’s largest company projecting a three-fold jump in fourth-quarter operating profit from a year earlier to a record high on global demand for AI servers.
Australian markets rose modestly to extend gains from the previous session, led by financials and healthcare stocks. Miners snapped a three-day winning run as copper slipped from a record high, declining along with other industrial metals due to profit taking.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 edged up by 0.29 percent to 8,720.80 while the broader All Ordinaries settled 0.32 percent higher at 9,046.50.
Shares of BlueScope Steel fell 1.6 percent after the company rejected a $9 billion takeover bid from Australian conglomerate SGH and U.S.-based Steel Dynamics.
Across the Tasman, New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index finished marginally higher at 13,716.86.
Overnight, U.S. stocks fluctuated before eventually ending mixed. The S&P 500 slid 0.3 percent and the Dow dipped 0.9 percent after reaching record closing highs the previous day.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite edged up by 0.2 percent as a slew of economic reports reinforced the view of a slowing yet resilient economy.
The JOLTS report hinted at a cooling labor market, while ADP reported a modest rebound in private hiring and the ISM Services PMI surprised to the upside.
Market Analysis
Asian Shares Mixed On Geopolitical Uncertainties
2026-01-08 08:41:28
