- China says will issue special bonds to boost ailing economy
- China offers $325 bn in fiscal stimulus for ailing economy
- Dodgers drop Padres 2-0 to advance in MLB playoffs
- Alexei Navalny wrote he knew he would die in prison in new memoir
- Last-minute legal ruling allows betting on US election
- Despite hurricanes, Floridians refuse to leave 'paradise'
- Israel observes Yom Kippur amid firestorm over Lebanon strikes
- Trump demonizes migrants in dark, misleading speech
- X says 'alert' to manipulation efforts after pro-Russia bots report
- US, European markets rise before Boeing unveils sweeping job cuts
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Comoros shock Tunisia, Salah, Mbeumo strike in AFCON qualifiers
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Germany win in Nations League as 10-man Dutch rescue point
- Undav brace sends Germany to victory against Bosnia
- Israel says fired at 'threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- Ecuador's last mountain iceman dies at 80
- Milton leaves at least 16 dead, millions without power in Florida
- Senegal set to announce breakaway development agenda: PM
- UN says 2 peacekeepers wounded in south Lebanon explosions
- Injury-hit Australia thrash 'embarrassing' Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
- Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being
- Israel says fired at 'immediate threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- New US coach Pochettino hails Pulisic but worries over workload
- Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
- UK govt urged to raise pro-democracy tycoon's case with China
- Sculptor Lalanne's animal creations sell for $59 mn
- From Tesla to Trump: Behind Musk's giant leap into politics
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Djokovic proves staying power as he progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Sheffield Utd boss Wilder 'numb' after Baldock death
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- Fans immerse themselves in Marina Abramovic's first China exhibition
- Israel says conducting review after UN peacekeepers wounded in Lebanon
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Djokovic 'overwhelmed' after 'greatest rival' Nadal's retirement
- Zelensky in Berlin says hopes war with Russia will end next year
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Djokovic proves staying power as progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Hurricane Milton leaves at least 16 dead as Florida cleans up
- Britain face 'ultimate challenge' in America's Cup duel with New Zealand
- Lebanon calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- Nihon Hidankyo: Japan's A-bomb survivors awarded Nobel
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Boat captain rescued clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after storm Milton
Asian stocks lower after Wall Street losses
Asian markets were mostly down Wednesday, tracking US losses as investors await a key tech earnings report and Fed policy meeting minutes later in the day.
The tech-rich Nasdaq fell nearly one percent in US trading on Tuesday ahead of chip giant Nvidia's highly anticipated results, with traders hoping it can meet high expectations driven by the AI sector and the firm's strong growth.
"The company's results have become the biggest of the reporting period, acting as both a macroeconomic barometer and the proverbial canary in the coal mine for the artificial intelligence boom," Kyle Rodda, senior market analyst at Capital.Com Inc, told Bloomberg.
With its huge valuation, "the bar for an upside surprise is set high," he added.
Nvidia was down about 4 percent on Tuesday, but its shares are still well up since the start of the year, with enthusiasm for AI-related firms having sent its stock price surging.
US and European equities have repeatedly set record highs in recent months on expectations of interest rate cuts and blockbuster earnings by tech firms, especially those working in AI.
"In our view, this is the market event to watch this week," said Anthony Saglimbene of Ameriprise.
"While one company doesn't usually make or break a market, the growing influence of Nvidia on the overall bullish stock narrative, key tech companies, and broader indexes warrants close attention."
In Hong Kong and mainland China, shares opened lower Wednesday after the Wall Street losses. But they were up about an hour later, with the Hang Seng Index rising about 1.8 percent.
The upticks came after China's central bank said Tuesday it was lowering the five-year loan prime rate, used to price mortgages, from 4.2 to 3.95 percent -- the largest reduction since the key rate was revamped in 2019.
Traders seemed to shrug off the move, with some analysts waiting for more substantial measures from Beijing to support China's flagging economy and hard-hit property sector.
Sydney, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur were all down.
Japanese stocks were also lower on Wednesday. Chip-linked shares dipped after Nvidia's slump ahead of its earnings report.
Recent losses in Tokyo have pushed the benchmark Nikkei 225 further from hitting its highest-ever close of 38,915.87, reached in 1989.
But Bloomberg reported "macro and stock hedge funds are betting on Japan this year", predicting the central bank will shift its nearly decade-long policy of negative rates.
- Key figures around 0200 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 38,312.63
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.3 percent at 16,459.89
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 2,924.33
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0815 from $1.0811 on Tuesday
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.97 yen from 150.00 yen
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2631 from $1.2648
Euro/pound: UP at 85.62 pence from 85.63 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.3 percent at $77.24 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $82.57 per barrel
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 38,563.80 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,719.21 (close)
-- Bloomberg News contributed to this story --
M.Thompson--AMWN