Asia-Pacific Markets React to Latest Business Activity Figures

Investors across the Asia-Pacific region had their eyes glued to the latest business activity reports from Australia, Japan, and China this Monday afternoon. Despite showing expansion across the board, the Chinese service sector notably marked its most significant growth since May 2024.

Market Movements Across the Region

On the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite saw a slight decrease of 0.34%, while the Shenzhen Composite wasn't far behind, dropping 0.33% by 7:12 am CET. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index also experienced a downturn, decreasing by 0.52% at 7:27 am CET. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed without significant change. In contrast, South Korea's Kospi Composite enjoyed a boost, adding 1.84%, whereas Japan's Nikkei 225 faced a notable decline of 1.48%, or 589 points, at 7:28 am CET.

Currency Fluctuations

In the currency markets, the dollar strengthened against the yen, marking a 0.22% increase to ¥157.68100 by 7:30 am CET.