Wednesday 2nd April 2025: Asia-Pacific Markets Mixed as Investors Await U.S. Tariffs

Global Markets:

•  Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 0.34%, Shanghai Composite up 0.06%, Hang Seng down 0.23% ASX up 0.14%
• Commodities : Gold at $3145.35 (0.80%), Silver at $34.47 (0.48%), Brent Oil at $74.75 (0.15%), WTI Oil at $71.26 (0.04%)
• Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.199, UK 10-year yield at 4.6330, Germany 10-year yield at 2.6810

News & Data:

• (USD) Final Manufacturing PMI 50.2  to 49.8 expected
• (USD) ISM Manufacturing PMI 49.0  to 49.5 expected

Markets Update:

Asia-Pacific markets showed mixed performance on Wednesday as investors anticipated new tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump later this week.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.10%, while the Topix slipped 0.55%. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.30%, and the small-cap Kosdaq declined 0.47%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.26%. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index remained flat, and mainland China’s CSI 300 rose 0.15%. India’s Nifty 50 opened with a 0.45% gain.

In the U.S., stock futures traded higher ahead of Trump’s tariff announcement. Overnight, Wall Street’s major indexes closed mixed. The S&P 500 advanced 0.38% to 5,633.07, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.87%, closing at 17,449.89. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped slightly by 11.80 points, or 0.03%, settling at 41,989.96.

Market volatility is expected in the short term, but UBS analysts predict a more optimistic outlook in the latter half of the year. They suggest that investors use market fluctuations as an opportunity to build long-term positions.

Upcoming Events: 

• 12:15 PM GMT – USD ADP Non-Farm Employment Change
• 08:00 PM GMT – USD President Trump Speaks

The post Wednesday 2nd April 2025: Asia-Pacific Markets Mixed as Investors Await U.S. Tariffs first appeared on IC Markets | Official Blog.