Asian Markets Decline on Thursday Morning

Regional Market Performance

Most Asian markets were in negative territory on Thursday morning, following the decline in Wall Street overnight. At 08:20 WIB, the Nikkei 225 index had dropped 366.10 points or 0.70% to 51,596.10. Similarly, the Hang Seng index fell 156.17 points or 0.59% to 26,302.78. The Taiex index declined 25.87 points or 0.09% to 30,400.23, while the FTSE Malaysia dropped 5.97 points or 0.36% to 1,670.78. In contrast, the ASX 200 managed to gain 8.43 points or 0.10% to 8,704, and the Straits Times rose 3.29 points or 0.09% to 4,749.73.

Global Market Influences

The decline in Asian markets was largely attributed to the weakness observed in global stock indices and the S&P 500, which both recorded their first decline in 2026. Data from the US showed signs of a weakening job market, which has maintained market speculation about potential two rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. This speculation has been a significant factor influencing global market movements.

Market Outlook

The current market dynamics suggest that investors are closely watching economic indicators, particularly from the US, for cues on future monetary policy decisions. The performance of Asian markets today is likely to be influenced by ongoing global economic trends and investor sentiment.