Asia markets mixed ahead of fed policy decision

September 17, 2025 (MLN): Asia market equities delivered a mixed performance on Wednesday as investors tracked Wall Street’s overnight pullback and awaited the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting, where a rate cut is widely anticipated.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 traded flat in volatile moves, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.4%. 

This followed a 2.6% contraction in July, with exports weighed down by U.S. tariffs and slowing global demand after earlier front-loading of shipments.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.63%. South Korea’s Kospi index declined 0.75%, while the tech-heavy Kosdaq shed 0.38%.

Hong Kong markets, however, advanced. The Hang Seng Index gained 1.35%, and the Hang Seng Tech Index jumped 3.43%.

Shares of Baidu surged up to 14% after the company announced the completion of a 4.4 billion yuan ($618 million) offshore bond issuance due in 2029.

Earlier this week, Baidu also signed a deal with state-owned China Merchants Group to cooperate on artificial intelligence technologies. On the mainland, the CSI 300 rose 0.6%, according to CNBC. 

India’s benchmark indices also edged higher, with the Nifty 50 up 0.33% at the open and the Sensex adding 0.14%.

Singapore’s exports, however, disappointed. Non-oil domestic exports tumbled 11.3% in August compared to a year earlier, missing expectations for a 1% rise.

Weak demand for specialised machinery, food preparations and petrochemicals contributed to the sharp fall, following July’s revised 4.7% drop.

As one of the world’s most trade-dependent economies, Singapore’s export trends are seen as a gauge of global demand.

Meanwhile, U.S. equity futures were little changed in Asian trading ahead of the Fed’s decision later in the day. Overnight in New York, major indices eased as investors booked profits. The S&P 500 slipped 0.13% to close at 6,606.76 after briefly touching a record high.

The Nasdaq Composite edged down 0.07% to 22,333.96, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 125.55 points, or 0.27%, ending at 45,757.90.

Copyright Mettis Link News