Asia markets slip ahead of key Fed decision

December 10, 2025 (MLN): Asia markets moved mostly lower on Wednesday as investors evaluated fresh inflation figures from China and braced for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s final interest rate decision of the year.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.56%, while the mainland’s CSI 300 slid 0.78% after China reported a 0.7% rise in consumer prices for November the highest level since February last year. This followed a 0.2% increase in October, according to CNBC.

However, producer prices extended their long-running deflation trend, falling 2.2% year-on-year, deeper than the anticipated 2% decline, compared to a 2.1% drop in October.

Across the region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was little changed.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged down 0.22%, while the Topix stayed flat. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.12%, though the tech-heavy Kosdaq inched up 0.2%.

Market participants are now focused on the Fed’s closely watched rate declaration due later Wednesday in the U.S. Markets broadly expect another 0.25% point cut to the benchmark overnight lending rate, following similar reductions in September and October.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 ended nearly flat, easing 0.09% to 6,840.51, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.13% to close at 23,576.49.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 179.03 points, or 0.38%, to 47,560.29, pressured by a drop in JPMorgan shares after the bank projected higher-than-expected expenses for 2026.

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