Asian markets mostly gain as trade tensions ease

By Marketwatch and Associated Press

Reuters

A screen outside the Hong Kong Exchanges displays top active securities during morning trading in Hong Kong.

Asian markets were mostly up in early trading Thursday as trade-war tensions eased after President Donald Trump announced a two-week delay in implementing tariff hikes against $250 billion in Chinese goods.

In a pair of tweets late Wednesday, Trump said the tariff hikes, which had been scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, will be put off until Oct. 15 as a “gesture of good will.” Earlier in the day, China said it would exempt some U.S. goods from tariff hikes it intends to impose starting Sept. 17. The conciliatory moves appear to be efforts to create goodwill before the resumption of trade negotiations in early October.

In a positive sign, Trump and China appear “willing to negotiate to put an end to this trade war spat,” Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader, wrote in a note.

Investors were also optimistic of a rate cut by the European Central Bank later Thursday. Policy makers are expected to announce further monetary stimulus at a news conference Thursday morning, Eastern time.

Japan’s Nikkei /zigman2/quotes/210597971/delayed JP:NIK -2.28%   gained 0.8% while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index /zigman2/quotes/210598030/delayed HK:HSI -0.78%   slid 0.5% after Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing made an unsolicited $36.6 billion bid to buy London Stock Exchange. Stocks in mainland China gave up early gains, with the Shanghai Composite /zigman2/quotes/210598127/delayed CN:SHCOMP +0.10%   and the Shenzhen Composite /zigman2/quotes/210598015/delayed CN:399106 +0.44%   last about flat. Stocks fell in Singapore /zigman2/quotes/210597985/delayed SG:STI -1.41%   and Indonesia /zigman2/quotes/210597981/delayed ID:JAKIDX -0.78%   but rose in Taiwan /zigman2/quotes/210597977/delayed TW:Y9999 -1.10%  and Malaysia /zigman2/quotes/210598052/delayed MY:FBMKLCI -0.29%  . Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 /zigman2/quotes/210598100/delayed AU:XJO -0.77%   advanced 0.3%. South Korea’s Kospi was closed for a holiday.

Among individual stocks, Yahoo Japan /zigman2/quotes/207641152/delayed JP:4689 -1.96%   rose in Tokyo trading on reports it would buy a majority stake in e-commerce giant Zozo /zigman2/quotes/206072585/delayed JP:3092 -0.28%  . Rival Rakuten /zigman2/quotes/201861450/delayed JP:4755 -0.99%   fell on the news, while Honda /zigman2/quotes/200490352/delayed JP:7267 -5.50%   and Sony /zigman2/quotes/201361720/delayed JP:6758 -1.22%   gained. In Hong Kong, AAC /zigman2/quotes/201441510/delayed HK:2018 -1.06%   and Galaxy Entertainment /zigman2/quotes/202884203/delayed HK:27 -2.58%   rose while PetroChina /zigman2/quotes/204979431/delayed HK:857 -2.14%   and AIA Group /zigman2/quotes/203565558/delayed HK:1299 +1.55%   declined. Largan Precision /zigman2/quotes/210444196/delayed TW:3008 -2.80%   gained again in Taiwan. Beach Energy /zigman2/quotes/200513631/delayed AU:BPT -1.62%   fell in Australia while Virgin Australia   gained.

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Add to watchlist JP:NIK

NIKKEI 225 Index

JP : Nikkei

30,526.88

-711.06 -2.28%

Volume: 0.00

Oct. 4, 2023 3:15p

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Hang Seng Index

HK : Hong Kong Exchange

17,195.84

-135.38 -0.78%

Volume: 1.29M

Oct. 4, 2023 4:08p

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Shanghai Composite Index

CN : China: Shanghai

3,110.48

+3.16 +0.10%

Volume: 0.00

Sept. 28, 2023 3:00p

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Shenzhen Composite Index

CN : Shenhzen Stock Exchange

1,910.28

+8.31 +0.44%

Volume: 0.00

Sept. 28, 2023 3:00p

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FTSE Straits Times Index

SG : Singapore: SGX

3,147.39

-44.96 -1.41%

Volume: 0.00

Oct. 4, 2023 5:20p

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JSX Composite Index

ID : Indonesia Stock Exchange

6,886.58

-54.31 -0.78%

Volume: 0.00

Oct. 4, 2023 4:00p

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Taiwan TAIEX

TW : Taiwan Stock Exchange

16,273.38

-180.96 -1.10%

Volume: 0.00

Oct. 4, 2023 1:33p

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FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI

MY : Malaysia

1,415.84

-4.17 -0.29%

Volume: 0.00

Oct. 4, 2023 5:05p

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S&P/ASX 200 Benchmark Index

AU : S&P ASX

6,890.20

-53.20 -0.77%

Volume: 752,377

Oct. 4, 2023 5:47p

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Add to watchlist JP:4689

LY Corp.

JP : Japan: Tokyo

¥ 400.90

-8.00 -1.96%

Volume: 16.10M

Oct. 4, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

15.78

Dividend Yield

1.39%

Market Cap

¥3097.26 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥60.33M

/zigman2/quotes/206072585/delayed

Add to watchlist JP:3092

ZOZO Inc.

JP : Japan: Tokyo

¥ 2,713.50

-7.50 -0.28%

Volume: 1.13M

Oct. 4, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

19.96

Dividend Yield

2.62%

Market Cap

¥812.30 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥120.07M

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Add to watchlist JP:4755

Rakuten Group Inc.

JP : Japan: Tokyo

¥ 560.30

-5.60 -0.99%

Volume: 27.17M

Oct. 4, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.80%

Market Cap

¥1210.81 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥62.57M

/zigman2/quotes/200490352/delayed

Add to watchlist JP:7267

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

JP : Japan: Tokyo

¥ 1,554.50

-90.50 -5.50%

Volume: 21.04M

Oct. 4, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

9.05

Dividend Yield

3.22%

Market Cap

¥8713.42 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥89.85M

/zigman2/quotes/201361720/delayed

Add to watchlist JP:6758

Sony Group Corp.

JP : Japan: Tokyo

¥ 12,110.00

-150.00 -1.22%

Volume: 3.48M

Oct. 4, 2023 3:00p

P/E Ratio

16.03

Dividend Yield

0.66%

Market Cap

¥15137.70 billion

Rev. per Employee

¥107.89M

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AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 13.08

-0.14 -1.06%

Volume: 1.29M

Oct. 4, 2023 4:08p

P/E Ratio

23.59

Dividend Yield

0.92%

Market Cap

$15.84 billion

Rev. per Employee

$827,699

/zigman2/quotes/202884203/delayed

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Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 45.25

-1.20 -2.58%

Volume: 5.31M

Oct. 4, 2023 4:08p

P/E Ratio

660.58

Dividend Yield

0.00%

Market Cap

$203.06 billion

Rev. per Employee

$824,187

/zigman2/quotes/204979431/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:857

PetroChina Co. Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 5.48

-0.12 -2.14%

Volume: 72.37M

Oct. 4, 2023 4:08p

P/E Ratio

6.27

Dividend Yield

8.61%

Market Cap

$1502.97 billion

Rev. per Employee

$8.78M

/zigman2/quotes/203565558/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:1299

AIA Group Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 65.40

+1.00 +1.55%

Volume: 49.96M

Oct. 4, 2023 4:08p

P/E Ratio

31.33

Dividend Yield

2.38%

Market Cap

$739.76 billion

Rev. per Employee

N/A

/zigman2/quotes/210444196/delayed

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LARGAN Precision Co. Ltd.

TW : Taiwan

NT$ 2,080.00

-60.00 -2.80%

Volume: 709,121

Oct. 4, 2023 1:30p

P/E Ratio

14.65

Dividend Yield

3.49%

Market Cap

NT$285.62 billion

Rev. per Employee

NT$5.79M

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Beach Energy Ltd.

AU : Australia: Sydney

$ 1.52

-0.03 -1.62%

Volume: 5.80M

Oct. 4, 2023 4:10p

P/E Ratio

8.62

Dividend Yield

2.64%

Market Cap

$3.51 billion

Rev. per Employee

N/A