Monday 3rd March 2025: Asia-Pacific Markets Rise as Investors Await U.S. Tariff Clarity

Global Markets:

•  Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 1.78%, Shanghai Composite up 0.33%, Hang Seng up 1.49% ASX up 0.94%
• Commodities : Gold at $2875.35 (0.93%), Silver at $31.85 (0.8%), Brent Oil at $73.37 (0.55%), WTI Oil at $70.58 (0.48%)
• Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.235, UK 10-year yield at 4.4835, Germany 10-year yield at 2.3860

News & Data:

• (CAD) GDP m/m 0.2%  to 0.3% expected
• (USD) Core PCE Price Index m/m 0.3%  to 0.3% expected

Markets Update:

Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose Monday as investors awaited clarity on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that tariffs on Mexico and Canada, set to begin Tuesday, remain “fluid” and could be lower than the proposed 25%, while the additional 10% duty on Chinese imports is confirmed.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.7% to close at 37,785.47, while the Topix rose 1.77% to 2,729.56. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index climbed 0.44%, but China’s CSI 300 dipped 0.04% to 3,888.47. Taiwan’s Taiex fell 1.29% to 22,756.25, its lowest since February, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.9% to 8,245.7. China’s Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI stood at 50.8, exceeding forecasts, while Australia’s PMI came in at 50.4, little changed from January.

Investors are watching Indian markets after the economy grew 6.2% year-on-year in Q3, recovering from a seven-quarter low and surpassing the revised 5.6% growth in Q2. South Korean markets were closed for a public holiday.

In the U.S., major indices closed higher Friday after a volatile week. The S&P 500 climbed 1.59% to 5,954.50, the Dow Jones gained 1.39% to 43,840.91, and the Nasdaq advanced 1.63% to 18,847.28. Markets briefly dipped due to tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict before rebounding on index rebalancing and technical buying.

Upcoming Events: 

• 03:00 PM GMT – USD ISM Manufacturing PMI
• 03:00 PM GMT – USD ISM Manufacturing Prices

The post Monday 3rd March 2025: Asia-Pacific Markets Rise as Investors Await U.S. Tariff Clarity first appeared on IC Markets | Official Blog.