South Korea’s Kospi achieved a second consecutive day of record highs on Wednesday, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s conciliatory remarks regarding his tariff threats against Seoul. “We will work something out with South Korea,” he reportedly stated. The Kospi concluded the trading session with an increase of 1.69%, reaching a level of 5,170.81, whereas the Kosdaq experienced a notable rise of 4.7%, settling at 1,133.52. In other regions, the Asia-Pacific markets exhibited a mixed performance on Wednesday, diverging from US Market’s trajectory following the S&P 500’s achievement of a record high. The broad market index increased by 0.41%, concluding at 6,978.60, buoyed by advancements in Apple and Microsoft. Japan’s Nikkei 225 shifted into positive territory late in the session, rising slightly to 53,358.71, while the Topix declined by 0.79% to close at 3,535.49.
Late Tuesday, the yen appreciated to its highest level in nearly three months against the dollar, reaching a low of 152.08 as speculation regarding potential intervention in the currency intensified. In the final hour of trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index experienced an increase of 2.58%, driven primarily by energy stocks. Meanwhile, the CSI 300 index on mainland China saw a modest rise of 0.26%, concluding the session at 4,717.99. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 experienced a reversal of earlier gains, declining by 0.13% to 8,929.9, thereby ending a three-day winning streak. In the final quarter of 2025, Australia experienced headline inflation reaching 3.6%, marking the highest rate observed in six quarters.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite experienced a significant decline of 8%, following a statement from index provider MSCI that cautioned about a possible downgrade of the country to frontier-market status. MSCI noted late Tuesday that fundamental investability issues continue to exist, stemming from persistent opacity in shareholding structures and worries regarding potential coordinated trading behavior that compromises effective price formation. On the commodities front, spot gold prices reached a fresh record of 5,255.71 per ounce.
Overnight in the U.S., the Nasdaq Composite experienced an increase of 0.91%, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average diverged, declining by 408.99 points, equivalent to 0.83%, and concluding at 49,003.4. S&P 500 futures hovered around the flatline as market participants awaited the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and earnings reports from leading technology firms. The central bank is anticipated to maintain its benchmark interest rate within the target range of 3.5% to 3.75%. However, market participants will be looking for indications regarding potential long-term adjustments to monetary policy.