{
  "id": 18190151,
  "title": "Asian shares mixed as Democrats retake US Congress",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/asian-shares-mixed-as-democrats-retake-us-congress-18190151",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-04T21:26:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Qatar Tribune Business",
    "slug": "qatar-tribune-business",
    "url": "https://www.qatar-tribune.com/article/262667/business/asian-shares-mixed-as-democrats-retake-us-congress"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Asian stocks experienced mixed results on Wednesday following Democrats' victory in both houses of the US Congress during the midterm elections. The uncertainty surrounding tech regulation, trade policy, and the US budget deficit contributed to this mixed sentiment.\n\nA gauge of US job openings surpassing economists' estimates raised the likelihood of the US Federal Reserve raising interest rates by 25 basis points in December to 80%, according to money markets. Gold prices surged more than 2% and held above $4,000 an ounce, benefiting from a weaker dollar and lower Treasury yields.\n\nThe US dollar weakened against all Group-of-10 currencies as investors reevaluated President Donald Trump's policy agenda following the Democratic sweep. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell seven basis points to 4.89%.\n\nBrent crude futures showed modest gains at $103.76 a barrel, as traders eyed the outcomes of US-Iran peace talks and adjustments in the wake of the midterm elections. However, Iran's national security chief expressed skepticism about Washington's response to Iran's demands, tweeting in a social media post.\n\nBoth the US and Iran considered new proposals from mediators, with fresh US strikes and threats against shipping through the Strait of Hormuz adding to the geopolitical volatility. Trump stated that he is \"not looking to kill lots of people\" in Iran but warned of decisive action if necessary.\n\nChinese and Hong Kong markets rose, buoyed by a significant defeat for Trump in the midterm elections, which paved the way for legislative stalemate. China's Shanghai Composite index climbed 2.16% to 3,686.17, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index surged 1.67% to 23,919.50, led by technology and healthcare stocks. Investors disregarded a private survey indicating China's services sector expanded at its weakest pace in three months in October, amid intensifying competition and rising costs.\n\nJapanese markets declined sharply upon the resumption of trading after a public holiday. The Nikkei average fell more than 3%, touching a three-month low before recouping some losses to end 1.42% lower at 62,188.63. The broader Topix index slipped 0.89% to 3,895.38.\n\nTech stocks faced significant losses, particularly Japanese chip-testing equipment maker Advantest, Tokyo Electron, SoftBank Group, and Kioxia Holdings, as concerns grew that Democratic control of both chambers in the US could lead to stricter regulations for data-center projects and slower investment in AI infrastructure. Seoul stocks fluctuated between gains and losses before closing higher, as battery and pharma stocks gained confidence in potential US policy support. The Kospi index increased 0.62% to 5,683.80. Australian markets, however, closed lower after purchasing managers' index data showed a contraction in Australia's services sector in October for the first time since May, dragging the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.59% to 8,834.50.",
  "summary": "dpaBeijing Asian stocks ended mixed on Wednesday after Democrats took control of both houses of Congress in a dramatic win in the US midterm elections, raising uncertainty over tec...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Nasdaq Markets",
        "title": "Asian Shares Mixed As Democrats Retake US Congress",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/asian-shares-mixed-as-democrats-retake-us-congress",
        "published": "2026-11-04T08:41:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}