Global markets today: Nikkei to Hang Seng - Asian stock markets trade mix ahead of Bank of Japan monetary policy

Asian markets showed a mixed performance on Wednesday as investors assessed a range of important regional economic data.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.57%, finishing at 36,045.38, while the Topix rose 0.63% to end at 2,667.29. In contrast, South Korea’s Kospi declined by 0.34% to 2,556.61, and the Kosdaq dropped 1.27% to close at 717.24.

Australia’s key S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.69%, finishing at 8,126.2. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained 0.51% to end at 22,119.41. Meanwhile, China’s CSI 300 dipped 0.12% to 3,770.57 following a sharper-than-anticipated decline in the country’s manufacturing activity, which moved further into contraction in April.

The Bank of Japan begins its policy meeting on Wednesday and is broadly anticipated to maintain interest rates at 0.5% when the meeting wraps up on Thursday.

At the same time, investors are analyzing a range of important regional economic data. Australia’s inflation for the first quarter increased by 2.4% year-over-year, slightly surpassing Reuters’ forecast of a 2.3% rise. In contrast, China’s manufacturing sector contracted more than expected in April, falling to its lowest level in nearly two years, as rising tensions in the trade war with the U.S. continue to weigh on bilateral trade.

Indian stock market to remain closed for trading on Thursday, May 1 on account of Maharashtra Day.

US Markets today

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 300.03 points, or 0.75%, finishing at 40,527.62. The S&P 500 increased by 0.58% to close at 5,560.83. Both indexes recorded their sixth consecutive day of gains, marking the longest winning streak since July for the Dow and since November for the S&P 500. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.55%, closing at 17,461.32.

Stock futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained mostly flat on Tuesday night, following the index's longest streak of gains since July. Futures for the 30-stock Dow dipped by 6 points, or 0.01%. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures declined 0.2%, and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.4%.

In overnight U.S. trading, all three major indexes ended the session higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed on Tuesday, reaching its peak levels of the day.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that progress on tariff discussions with India is going well, and he is confident that the U.S. will reach a trade agreement with the country.

During a White House press briefing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that the administration had engaged in significant discussions with Japan regarding a potential trade deal and noted that the framework for an agreement with South Korea may also be taking shape.

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