Asian shares mixed as investors react to US inflation data

13 Jan 2022 , 11:14 AM

Asian shares traded mixed tracking cues on Thursday, while the dollar dipped as global investors assessed that a spike in U.S. inflation was not the vital issue to change the Federal Reserve’s already pugnacious rates outlook.

Japan led losses in the region, as the Nikkei 225 fell 0.96% to close at 28,489.13, after jumping nearly 2% on Wednesday. The Topix lost 0.68% to 2,005.58 and the Kospi was down 0.35%.

Chinese markets deepened losses in the afternoon with the Shanghai Composite tumbling nearly 1%, while the Shenzhen Component fell 1.70%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 0.43% after rising earlier whereas Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.48% to close at 7,474.40.

Meanwhile, US Consumer prices data that largely met expectations eased some concerns about faster-than-expected interest rate hikes, with megacap technology stocks offering the biggest boost.

Consumer price index increased 0.5% last month after rising 0.8% in November, while in the 12 months through December, the CPI surged 7.0% to its highest year-on-year rise in nearly four decades.

The S&P 500 added roughly 0.28% to 4,726.35, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.23% to 15,188.39 for its third straight positive day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which shuffled between modest gains and losses through the session, finished with a gain of 38.3 points, or 0.11%, at 36,290.32.

The 10-year Treasury yield fell 2 basis points to 1.725%.