Asian markets cautious amid lingering trade tensions

By Marketwatch and Associated Press

AFP/Getty Images

The Hong Kong skyline and Victoria Harbour.

Asian stock markets traded mostly mixed Wednesday, as lingering trade tensions weighed on traders.

China’s ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, said Tuesday on Fox News that “the door is still open” to resuming trade negotiations with the U.S., although no new talks are scheduled. Tensions have ramped up over the past week, though were tempered slightly Monday by reports that the Trump administration will offer 90-day exemptions for some U.S. companies doing business with Huawei Technologies.

However, a fresh wrinkle in the trade saga may have opened after reports the White House may add a handful of Chinese video surveillance firms to a list of blacklisted companies from the country. Shares of Hangzhou HIK Vision Digital /zigman2/quotes/202445716/delayed CN:002415 +2.04%  fell over 5%, and China’s main stock index eased back.

Japan’s Nikkei /zigman2/quotes/210597971/delayed JP:NIK -0.17%   finished flat after data showed exports fell for a fifth straight month in April. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index /zigman2/quotes/210598030/delayed HK:HSI -1.25%  inched up 0.1%, while the Shanghai Composite /zigman2/quotes/210598127/delayed CN:SHCOMP +0.06%  closed down 0.5% and the smaller-cap Shenzhen Composite /zigman2/quotes/210598015/delayed CN:399106 +0.25%   saw a similar loss. South Korea’s Kospi /zigman2/quotes/210598069/delayed KR:180721 -1.19%   rose 0.2%, while benchmark indexes in Taiwan /zigman2/quotes/210597977/delayed TW:Y9999 +0.03%   , Singapore /zigman2/quotes/210597985/delayed SG:STI +0.56%   and Indonesia /zigman2/quotes/210597981/delayed ID:JAKIDX -0.29%   mostly posted losses. From Jakarta came reports of riots, injuries and deaths after supporters of a presidential candidate who lost a Tuesday election clashed with security forces

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 /zigman2/quotes/210598100/delayed AU:XJO -0.20%  closed up 0.2%.

Among individual stocks, SoftBank Group /zigman2/quotes/207303954/delayed JP:9984 -1.66%   rose in Tokyo trading while Suzuki Motor /zigman2/quotes/201794956/delayed JP:7269 +0.61%   tumbled. In Hong Kong, casino operator Sands China /zigman2/quotes/207609245/delayed HK:1928 +2.30%   gained while China Mobile /zigman2/quotes/200868736/delayed HK:941 -1.50%   slipped. SK Hynix /zigman2/quotes/206420319/delayed KR:000660 -0.97%   slid in South Korea while chip-making rival Taiwan Semiconductor /zigman2/quotes/207385621/delayed TW:2330 +0.35%   jumped in Taiwan. Westpac /zigman2/quotes/203084975/delayed AU:WBC -0.47%   gained but Fortescue Metals /zigman2/quotes/202351558/delayed AU:FMG +0.84%   fell in Australia.

/zigman2/quotes/202445716/delayed

Add to watchlist CN:002415

Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd. A

CN : China: Shenzhen

¥ 35.50

+0.71 +2.04%

Volume: 20.25M

Dec. 1, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

25.64

Dividend Yield

1.97%

Market Cap

¥318.98 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥1.44M

/zigman2/quotes/210597971/delayed

Add to watchlist JP:NIK

NIKKEI 225 Index

JP : Nikkei

33,431.51

-55.38 -0.17%

Volume: 0.00

Dec. 1, 2023 3:15p

/zigman2/quotes/210598030/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:HSI

Hang Seng Index

HK : Hong Kong Exchange

16,830.30

-212.58 -1.25%

Volume: 2.43M

Dec. 1, 2023 4:09p

/zigman2/quotes/210598127/delayed

Add to watchlist CN:SHCOMP

Shanghai Composite Index

CN : China: Shanghai

3,031.64

+1.96 +0.06%

Volume: 28.61B

Dec. 1, 2023 3:00p

/zigman2/quotes/210598015/delayed

Add to watchlist CN:399106

Shenzhen Composite Index

CN : Shenhzen Stock Exchange

1,887.98

+4.77 +0.25%

Volume: 41.77B

Dec. 1, 2023 3:00p

/zigman2/quotes/210598069/delayed

Add to watchlist KR:180721

KOSPI Composite Index

KR : Korea Exchange

2,505.01

-30.28 -1.19%

Volume: 516,596

Dec. 1, 2023 6:05p

/zigman2/quotes/210597977/delayed

Add to watchlist TW:Y9999

Taiwan TAIEX

TW : Taiwan Stock Exchange

17,438.35

+4.50 +0.03%

Volume: 0.00

Dec. 1, 2023 1:31p

/zigman2/quotes/210597985/delayed

Add to watchlist SG:STI

FTSE Straits Times Index

SG : Singapore: SGX

3,090.31

+17.32 +0.56%

Volume: 0.00

Dec. 1, 2023 5:20p

/zigman2/quotes/210597981/delayed

Add to watchlist ID:JAKIDX

JSX Composite Index

ID : Indonesia Stock Exchange

7,059.91

-20.84 -0.29%

Volume: 0.00

Dec. 1, 2023 4:00p

/zigman2/quotes/210598100/delayed

Add to watchlist AU:XJO

S&P/ASX 200 Benchmark Index

AU : S&P ASX

7,073.20

-14.10 -0.20%

Volume: 581,856

Dec. 1, 2023 5:15p

/zigman2/quotes/207303954/delayed

Add to watchlist JP:9984

SoftBank Group Corp.

JP : Japan: Tokyo

¥ 5,920.00

-100.00 -1.66%

Volume: 7.47M

Dec. 1, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.74%

Market Cap

¥7316.26 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥104.44M

/zigman2/quotes/201794956/delayed

Add to watchlist JP:7269

Suzuki Motor Corp.

JP : Japan: Tokyo

¥ 6,058.00

+37.00 +0.61%

Volume: 999,800

Dec. 1, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

12.50

Dividend Yield

1.73%

Market Cap

¥2927.00 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥71.25M

/zigman2/quotes/207609245/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:1928

Sands China Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 19.60

+0.44 +2.30%

Volume: 20.35M

Dec. 1, 2023 4:08p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.00%

Market Cap

$154.10 billion

Rev. per Employee

$750,813

/zigman2/quotes/200868736/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:941

China Mobile Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 62.35

-0.95 -1.50%

Volume: 19.77M

Dec. 1, 2023 4:08p

P/E Ratio

9.06

Dividend Yield

7.44%

Market Cap

$1367.90 billion

Rev. per Employee

$2.44M

/zigman2/quotes/206420319/delayed

Add to watchlist KR:000660

SK Hynix Inc.

KR : S. Korea: KRX

₩ 132,600

-1,300 -0.97%

Volume: 3.64M

Dec. 1, 2023 6:13p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.90%

Market Cap

₩89665.73 billion

Rev. per Employee

N/A

/zigman2/quotes/207385621/delayed

Add to watchlist TW:2330

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

TW : Taiwan

NT$ 579.00

+2.00 +0.35%

Volume: 28.40M

Dec. 1, 2023 1:30p

P/E Ratio

16.76

Dividend Yield

2.12%

Market Cap

NT$14885.01 billion

Rev. per Employee

N/A

/zigman2/quotes/203084975/delayed

Add to watchlist AU:WBC

Westpac Banking Corp.

AU : Australia: Sydney

$ 21.27

-0.10 -0.47%

Volume: 4.81M

Dec. 1, 2023 4:10p

P/E Ratio

11.17

Dividend Yield

6.68%

Market Cap

$74.12 billion

Rev. per Employee

$1.31M

/zigman2/quotes/202351558/delayed

Add to watchlist AU:FMG

Fortescue Ltd.

AU : Australia: Sydney

$ 25.20

+0.21 +0.84%

Volume: 3.41M

Dec. 1, 2023 4:10p

P/E Ratio

10.89

Dividend Yield

6.94%

Market Cap

$76.26 billion

Rev. per Employee

$2.47M