On Thursday morning (27 February, 9:13 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), major indices in Asia Pacific traded mixed amidst a varied sentiment on Wall Street, responding to new tariff warnings from the U.S. President Donald Trump. The President recently announced a potential 25% tariff hike on European Union imports, adding to previous tariffs on Mexico and Canada that were delayed for a month.
Meanwhile, investors will focus on Asian chip stocks following Nvidia’s impressive fourth-quarter earnings that surpassed Wall Street’s predictions. The giant chip manufacturer also offered a positive outlook for the present quarter, showcasing its belief in sustaining its remarkable growth momentum driven by artificial intelligence.
Japan’s NIKKEI climbed by 0.06% to 38,165.69. Australia’s ASX 200 rose by 0.42% to 8,275, while South Korea’s KOSPI dropped by 0.79% to 2,620.29.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC declined by 0.14% to 3,375.34. Shenzhen’s SZI slid by 0.13% to 10,941.74, while Hong Kong’s HSI gained 0.48% to 23,901.53.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets were mixed on Wednesday as NASDAQ surged by 0.26% to 19,075.26. S&P 500 added 0.01% to 5,956.06, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) contracted by 0.43% to 43,433.12. VIX shrank 1.7% to 19.1.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Wednesday, dropping to their lowest point in two months, due to an unexpected increase in U.S. fuel inventories indicating a decline in demand. Additionally, the prospect of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine exerted downward pressure on prices. Brent futures lost 49 cents or 0.67% to $72.53 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) decreased 31 cents or 0.45% to $68.62 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures grew 22 cents or 0.3% to $72.75 a barrel, and the WTI expanded 20 cents or 0.29% to $68.82 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures dipped 0.13% to $2,926.7 per Troy ounce.
