Asia shares weaker, oil up; investors weigh Saudi-Houthi escalation

Asian markets experienced a slight decline on Wednesday, despite US stocks reaching new highs. This was due to rising oil prices, which were influenced by a storm approaching the Gulf of Mexico and the growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels. MSCI's Asia-Pacific index, excluding Japan, fell by 0.3%, while the S&P 500 set a new record, rising by 0.6% on the day, and the Nasdaq gained 0.45%, also breaking an all-time high.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.5%. US crude prices rose by 1.05% to $90.38 a barrel, while Brent crude increased by 1.06% to $101.65 per barrel. The surge in oil prices was attributed to supply constraints from the storm and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, coupled with an influx of Middle East crude. Around 12 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 2 million bpd of refined products have been removed from the Middle East via tankers in the past 7 to 10 days, according to Vitol's CEO Russell Hardy.

Meanwhile, French debt experienced a sell-off, and yields dropped by more than 11 basis points, narrowing the spread between French OATs and German bunds. This shift favored the euro, causing it to stabilize near $1.1250. European bond markets displayed a sense of calm, with French, Italian, and Greek bonds outperforming. US 10-year Treasuries rose to 5.3% in Asian morning trade, and longer-term yields nudged higher ahead of auctions.

Australian shares remained flat, while Japan's Nikkei fell by 0.86%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index also declined by 0.63%, mainly due to a 4% drop in the biotech index. China's financial markets were closed for a holiday, and the dollar index increased by 0.03% to 101.94, following a 0.27% drop the previous day. The Japanese yen weakened by 0.19% to 158.43 per dollar, and the British pound slipped by 0.08% to $1.3262.

A stabilization in oil prices, a slight recovery in the euro, and shifts in US Treasury bond yields put downward pressure on the dollar. The Federal Reserve will publish the minutes of its September 15 and 16 policy meeting on Wednesday, which will be closely monitored for potential rate changes in the coming months. Traders lowered their expectations for a Fed rate hike this month to 19% from approximately 50% a week earlier. Spot gold was trading at $4165.53 per ounce.