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Informist, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025                                      Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Equity Alert: Indices in Asia open higher; KOSPI leads for second day 

MUMBAI--0808 IST--Most equity indices in Asia were higher in early trade Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. South Korea's KOSPI led the pack of gainers in the region for the second straight session. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index and Japan's broader TOPIX fell in early trade.

"The narrowing in spreads and movement in the yen may have resurfaced some of the carry trade fears and unwinding of leveraged positions," Reuters quoted Kerry Craig, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management, as saying. Japanese government bonds continued to face pressure as investors ramped up bets of a rate hike by Bank of Japan later this month.

South Korea's KOSPI rose over 1% and the country's revised third quarter GDP data indicated that the economy grew 1.8% on year, compared to an estimate of a 1.7% rise, CNBC reported, citing data from the central bank.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was marginally higher in early trade. The country's third-quarter economic growth missed analysts' expectations, but still clocked its fastest expansion in about two years, CNBC reported. The country's GDP expanded 2.1% year on year, but missed economists' forecast of 2.2% growth.

Following were the levels of key Asian indices at 0745 IST:

(Arundathi A R)

Equity Alert: US indices rise on rate cut hopes, gains in technology cos 

MUMBAI--0735 IST--Benchmark equity indices in the US ended higher Tuesday amid hope that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its meeting later this month as economic data from the US continues to appear weak. Gains in technology stocks aided the rise of the indices. The technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite index gained the most among its benchmark peers on Tuesday.

"Recent data pointed to a gradually cooling economy, and policymakers had urged caution on rate cuts, warning that inflation pressures could be rekindled. But comments from several Fed officials in recent days sent market expectations soaring for a rate cut at the central bank's December meeting," Reuters reported.

Large-cap technology companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft drove the gains in the indices. Shares of Apple closed over 1% higher and those of Nvidia and Microsoft rose nearly 1%. Shares of Intel Corp. jumped nearly 9%. Mass media and entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros Discovery ended nearly 3% higher after reports that the company received a second round of bids, including an offer from Netflix, Reuters reported.

Boeing closed over 10% higher after the plane maker said it expected higher deliveries for its 737 and 787 jets next year. Boeing also lifted the S&P 500 industrials index 0.9%, the top performer among 11 major sectors in the S&P index.

Market participants are focussing on the appointment of the next US Fed Chair when incumbent Jerome Powell's term ends next year. Traders await a delayed September report on the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, which is the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, on Friday. Traders are now pricing in an over 89% probability that the apex bank will cut key rates by a quarter percentage point at its policy meeting in December, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

Following are the closing levels of US indices Monday:

(Arundathi A R)

US$1 = INR 89.87

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

Edited by Avishek Dutta

All prices from National Stock Exchange, unless otherwise specified.

All percentage changes for share prices are rounded off to the nearest whole number; percentage changes for index values are rounded off to one decimal place.

All times are Indian Standard Time.

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