MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 31: People sit at an outdoor table near a cafe in the CBD on January 31, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. On July 6, 2022 the Australian government lifted all COVID-19 requirements for locals and travelers ending a two-year long restriction period. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
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Asia-Pacific markets mixed as investors assess data
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed as investors assessed China’s industrial data and Australia’s August inflation figures due on Wednesday.
Australia’s weighted inflation rate climbed 5.2% year on year in August, in line with expectations from economists polled by Reuters, while headline inflation came in at 5.5%.
Australian and Japanese markets decline
The Australian S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.14%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.77%, leading losses in Asia. The Topix slid 0.76%.
South Korea’s Kospi was 0.1% lower, but the Kosdaq was 0.37% up.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.56%, reversing losses from Tuesday, while the mainland CSI 300 index also gained marginally.
Sell-off in U.S. markets
Overnight in the U.S., all three major indexes saw a sell-off after the latest home sales and consumer confidence reports stoked concern over the state of the U.S. economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw its worst day since March, losing 1.14% and closing below its 200-day moving average for the first time since May. The S&P 500 slipped 1.47%, closing below 4,300 for the first time since June 9, while the Nasdaq Composite pulled back 1.57%.
— CNBC’s Sarah Min and Brian Evans contributed to this report
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