Designed by Danish architect Jørn Oberg Utzon, the Sydney Opera House lights up as the sun rises over Sydney Harbor and the skyscrapers of the city centre.
UCG | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Wednesday as investors analyzed Australia’s inflation data.
The country’s benchmark ASX/S&P200 index rose 0.38% after domestic inflation data came in weaker than expected. The consumer price index rose 3.4% in November compared to the same month last year, falling short of Reuters’ forecast of 3.7% and also below October’s inflation rate of 3.8%.
The monthly inflation rate was also unchanged from October, suggesting that inflation is calming down and the rationale for raising interest rates may be easing.
Japanese benchmark Nikkei Stock Average It fell by 0.45%, and TOPIX fell by 0.63%. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.89%, while the small-cap Kosdaq fell 0.12%.
hong kong Hang Seng Index The futures contract was also trading at 26,685 against the index’s previous close of 26,710.45, with the opening price expected to decline.
U.S. crude oil futures fell 1.3% to $56.39 per barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump said Venezuela would transfer 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States. The remarks followed a weekend operation in which the U.S. military captured former leader Nicolas Maduro.
US stock futures were little changed in the first half of Asian trading.
In the US, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average reached new highs overnight as investors got over the recent US attack on Venezuela.
The broader market index rose 0.62% to a record closing price of 6,944.82. The highest price during the session was also updated. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 484.90 points, or 0.99%, and also hit an intraday high, closing at a record 49,462.08. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.65% to end at 23,547.17.
—CNBC’s Liz Napolitano, Fred Imbert and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.
