Materials stocks advanced nearly 3% at midday Wednesday.
BHP Group (ASX:BHP) gained almost 4% in recent trade.
Meanwhile, the financial sector struggled, shedding nearly 4%.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA), whose shares fell almost 10% in recent trade, reported a cash net profit after tax of around AU$2.7 billion for the fiscal third quarter, up 4% from a year earlier.
South Korean shares opened lower on Wednesday, tracking losses on Wall Street, amid a sell-off in chip shares, the fastest U.S. inflation since May 2023, and uncertainties in the Middle East war.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, fell by 129.5 points to open at 7,513.65. The Kosdaq declined by 2.85 points to open at 1,176.43.Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, said Monday that the country's military was ready to "teach a lesson" to any aggressor, after US President Trump rejected Iran's response to the recent peace proposal and said the ceasefire was "on life support."Trump dismissed Tehran's response as extremely weak, adding that he did not fully read the proposal, called it "garbage," and questioned whether the truce could hold.Amid uncertainties, the Korean won also weakened against the greenback, opening at 1,493.8 won per dollar, down 3.9 won from Tuesday's close.In addition, a 3.8% increase in annual US inflation in April impacted sentiment. The higher-than-expected inflation was a result of a jump in the prices of gasoline and groceries last month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said nearly half of the jump was driven by rising energy costs, with housing and food prices also contributing to the uptick.Overnight losses in US stocks also led to an erosion in the appetite for South Korean stocks. The Nasdaq Composite led declines, declining about 0.7%, while the S&P 500 slipped over 0.1%. On the other hand, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1%, supported by its lower exposure to technology stocks.
US equity indexes traded mixed ahead of Tuesday's close as a hotter-than-expected inflation print amid soaring gas prices hit growth sectors, while the Iran stalemate continued.The Nasdaq fell 0.9% to 26,034.2, and the S&P 500 down 0.2% to 7,396.5. Both gauges were off session lows. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% to 49,806.3, clawing back all declines from earlier in the day.Technology and consumer discretionary sectors led decliners. Shares of Qualcomm (QCOM) and Intel (INTC) plunged 12% and 7.3%, respectively, the steepest slides on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index jumped by 3.8% in April from 3.3% in the prior month, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with the 3.7% consensus. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, climbed by 2.8% from 2.6%, versus expectations for 2.7%.The CPI increased 0.6% in April, as expected, following a 0.9% increase in the previous month. Core CPI gained 0.4%, higher than the consensus estimate for a 0.3% increase. Core CPI rose by 0.2% in March.US Treasury yields jumped, with the 10-year up 5.1 basis points to 4.46%, the highest since about July. The two-year rate advanced 4.7 basis points to almost 4%, the strongest since June.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures surged 4.5% to $102.50, and Brent crude futures increased 3.6% to $107.93 as a faltering ceasefire between the US and Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed, continuing the largest-ever energy supply shock.
US equity indexes fell in Tuesday's midday trading as a hotter-than-expected inflation print for April hit technology and consumer discretionary shares.The Nasdaq dropped 1.2% to 25,939.2, with the S&P 500 down 0.8% to 7,356.5 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower by 0.5% to 49,435.8. Technology and consumer discretionary sectors led the decliners.The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index jumped by 3.8% in April from 3.3% in the prior month, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with the 3.7% consensus. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, climbed by 2.8% from 2.6%, versus expectations for 2.7%.The CPI increased 0.6% in April, as expected, following a 0.9% increase in the previous month. Core CPI gained 0.4%, higher than the consensus estimate for a 0.3% increase. Core CPI rose by 0.2% in March.US Treasury yields jumped, with the 10-year up 4.1 basis points to 4.45%, the highest since about July. The two-year rate jumped 4.9 basis points to almost 4%, the strongest since June.Meanwhile, oil prices rose as a faltering ceasefire between the US and Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed, continuing the largest-ever energy supply shock.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 3.6% to $101.58, and Brent crude futures increased 3.4% to $107.63.