Märkte Asien: Asiens Börsen geben nach – Inflationssorgen und Nahost-Konflikt belasten

Asian stock markets experienced a decline on Friday, ahead of key US labor market data and amid geopolitical tensions. The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo fell 0.9% to 68,327 points, while the broader Topix index dropped 1% to 4,089 counters. The Shanghai index remained closed for the holiday, and the Shanghai and Shenzhen composite index also did not trade.

Uncertainty was further fueled by fluctuations in bond markets. In Japan, unexpectedly high inflation data and profit-taking following a recent six-week high weighed on sentiment. The core inflation rate in Tokyo rose to 2.7% in September, prompting expectations of further interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan (BOJ). Analyst Yoshiki Shinke of Dai-ichi Life Research Institute noted that the inflation figures indicate companies are passing on rising costs due to a weak yen and the Iran war.

The conflict between the US and Iran, as well as the suspension of Chinese oil exports, also impacted the markets. Despite the gloomy overall mood, there were some bright spots, with Furukawa Electric leading the Nikkei with a 6.25% gain, followed by Baycurrent and Mitsui Kinzoku. However, technology stocks faced pressure, with SoftBank Group shares falling 5.27%, and Taiyo Yuden and Tokyo Electron reporting significant losses.

Analyst Yuta Okamoto from Tokai Tokyo attributed the pullback in the lead index to profit-taking following a strong rally the previous day. Wall Street closed hardly changed, with oil prices rising.

Brief written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.