Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed, breaking ranks with Wall Street
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CNBC

Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed, breaking ranks with Wall Street

Why This Matters

Core consumer prices in Tokyo rose at a slower pace in August, easing from July's 2.9% increase.

August 29, 2025
03:19 AM
2 min read
AI Enhanced

The Seoul skyline.Mongkol Chuewong | Moment | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific traded mixed Friday, ranks with Wall Street as investors also assessed a slate of economic data in the region.Japan's Nikkei 225 slid 0.41%, while the Topix lost 0.39% after core consumer prices in Tokyo rose at a slower pace in August.

The Tokyo core CPI, which strips out fresh food but includes energy, climbed 2.5% from a year earlier, matching Reuters' economists' forecasts, and easing from July's 2.9% increase.

The figure, however, remained above the Bank of Japan's 2% target.Japan's unemployment rate also eased to 2.3% in July, down from 2.5% the previous month.South Korea's Kospi lost 0.22% while the Kosdaq Index slipped 0.27% after South Korea's ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee was reportedly indicted over corruption and bribery charges.

Kim is the wife of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office and arrested earlier this year for his short-d declaration of martial law.

The South Korean won weakened 0.15% to 1,387.38 against the dollar.Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.14%.Hong Kong's Hang Seng index added 0.51% while mainland's CSI 300 rose 0.13%.India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to meet China's President Xi Jinping for the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit over the weekend in Tianjin, which will be Modi's first visit to China in seven years.New Delhi and Beijing could engage in talks in Tianjin, as India's foreign ministry has flagged the possibility of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.Overnight stateside, the three major averages closed higher.

The broad market S&P 500 index 0.32% higher at 6,501.86 after hitting a new all-time intraday high above the 6,500 level.

The Nasdaq Composite the day up 0.53% at 21,705.16, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 71.67 points, or 0.16% to end at 45,636.90, which was also a record.— CNBC's Sean Conlon contributed to this report.

FinancialBooklet Analysis

AI-powered insights based on this specific article

Key Insights

  • Inflation data often serves as a leading indicator for consumer spending and corporate pricing power
  • Financial sector news can impact lending conditions and capital availability for businesses
  • Consumer sector trends provide insights into economic health and discretionary spending patterns

Questions to Consider

  • What does this inflation data suggest about consumer purchasing power and corporate margins?
  • Could this financial sector news affect lending conditions and capital availability?
  • What does this consumer sector news reveal about economic health and spending patterns?

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