Asia-Pacific markets concluded the trading session predominantly in the red on Wednesday, diverging from US Markets, which experienced gains in key benchmarks following the release of stronger-than-anticipated economic growth figures. Japan’s Nikkei 225 experienced a decline of 0.14%, concluding at 50,344.1, whereas the Topix fell by 0.46%, finishing at 3,407.37. Reports says that the country was poised to issue approximately 29.6 trillion yen in new government bonds to finance its fiscal 2026 budget. The yields on the 30-year Japanese government bond increased by more than 2 basis points, reaching a historic peak of 3.454%. Yields on the 20-year JGBs increased slightly by nearly one basis point to 2.992%.

Shares of Japan’s Sapporo Holdings increased by 3.7% following the announcement of a 477 billion yen deal to divest its real estate unit to private equity firms KKR and PAG. South Korea’s Kospi experienced a decrease of 0.21%, settling at 4,108.62, whereas the small-cap Kosdaq fell by 0.47% to reach 915.2. The South Korean won appreciated by over 1% to 1,462.3 against the US dollar, as reported, indicating that the national pension fund was engaged in strategic foreign exchange hedging activities. Shares of South Korean battery materials maker EnChem surged more than 10% after a domestic media report indicated that it had finalized a supply agreement with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co, estimated to be worth approximately Korean won 1.5 trillion.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index increased by 0.17%, concluding the trading day at 25,818.93, whereas mainland China’s CSI 300 finished 0.29% higher at 4,634.06. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 experienced a decline of 0.38%, settling at 8,762.7, thereby interrupting a four-day sequence of upward movement. As of 12:45 p.m., India’s Nifty 50 and the BSE Sensex exhibited little movement, remaining largely unchanged. Spot gold prices reached a new high on Wednesday, surpassing $4,500 per ounce for the first time. This surge was influenced by a declining dollar, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and anticipations of rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Gold has achieved a succession of record highs this year, climbing more than 70% year to date. Platinum has surged to an all-time high, surpassing $2,300 per ounce.

“Gold has surpassed $4,500, Silver is approaching $72, and Platinum is nearing $2400; all of which are arguably benefiting from the appeal as hedges against USD debasement,” stated Vishnu Varathan. The U.S. dollar index has experienced a decline of nearly 10% since the beginning of the year, according to data from LSEG. U.S. futures exhibited minimal movement, hovering around the flatline during the early hours of trading in Asia. In the United States, equities experienced an increase for the fourth consecutive session, driven by the strong performance of artificial intelligence companies during a week shortened by holidays. The S&P 500 experienced an increase of 0.46%, concluding at an unprecedented level of 6,909.79. The broad market index currently stands slightly beneath its intraday peak of 6,920.34. The Nasdaq Composite increased by 0.57%, concluding at 23,561.84. Advancements in technology behemoths Nvidia and Broadcom, which experienced increases of approximately 3% and over 2%, respectively, bolstered the index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 79.73 points, equivalent to 0.16%, concluding at 48,442.41.