CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Asian stock markets are trading mixed on Wednesday, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight, amid concerns about escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia over the war in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin updated the nuclear doctrine. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Tuesday.
Putin has signed a decree amending the country's nuclear doctrine after President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to attack Russian territory using U.S.-made long-range missiles. Kremlin has warned that it would consider a nuclear strike if it was subject to a conventional missile assault supported by a nuclear power.
Shortly before the Kremlin updated its nuclear weapons doctrine, Ukraine reportedly used U.S.-made long-range missiles to attack a Russian military facility in the Bryansk border region.
Australian shares are trading modestly lower on Wednesday, snapping a four-session winning streak, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 staying above the 8,300 level, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight, with weakness in technology, financial and energy stocks partially offset by gains in mining stocks.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is losing 30.10 points or 0.36 percent to 8,343.90, after hitting a low of 8,336.60 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 32.60 points or 0.38 percent to 8,596.60. Australian stocks ended significantly higher on Tuesday.
Among major miners, Rio Tinto is edging up 0.5 percent, Fortescue Metals is gaining more than 1 percent and Mineral Resources is advancing more than 3 percent, while BHP Group is edging down 0.1 percent.
Oil stocks are mostly lower. Woodside Energy and Santos are edging down 0.1 or 0.3 percent each, while Beach energy is losing almost 2 percent. Origin Energy is edging up 0.1 percent.
In the tech space, Afterpay owner Block is gaining almost 2 percent, while Zip is slipping 1.5 percent, WiseTech Global is losing almost 1 percent, Xero is down more than 1 percent and Appen is tumbling more than 9 percent.
Among the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank is edging up 0.5 percent, while Westpac, ANZ Banking and National Australia Bank are edging down 0.1 or 0.4 percent each.
Among gold miners, Evolution Mining, Northern Star Resources, Resolute Mining, Gold Road Resources and Newmont are all gaining more than 1 percent each.
In other news, shares in PWR Holdings are tumbling 30 percent after the automotive cooling parts provider flagged its profit after tax in the first half of FY25 will be around $3.5 million, one-third of what it reported in the same half last year.
In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.653 on Wednesday.
The Japanese stock market is trading notably lower in choppy trading on Wednesday, reversing the gains in the previous session, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 is falling well below the 38,300 level, with weakness across most sectors led by financial and technology stocks.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed the morning session at 38,242.35, down 172.08 points or 0.45 percent, after touching a high of 38,520.45 and a low of 38,207.79 earlier. Japanese stocks ended notably higher on Tuesday.
Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is edging up 0.4 percent, while Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is edging down 0.3 percent. Among automakers, Honda is losing more than 1 percent and Toyota is down almost 1 percent.
In the tech space, Advantest and Tokyo Electron are losing almost 1 percent each, while Screen Holdings is down 1.5 percent.
In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial are losing more than 1 percent each, while Mizuho Financial is down almost 1 percent.
Among the major exporters, Sony is gaining more than 3 percent and Mitsubishi Electric is edging up 0.2 percent, while Canon is edging down 0.3 percent and Panasonic is losing more than 1 percent.
Among other major losers, Tokio Marine Holdings is plunging more than 7 percent and MS&AD Insurance is declining almost 5 percent.
Conversely, Sompo Holdings and Tokyo Gas are skyrocketing more than 11 percent each, while Seven & I Holdings is surging almost 9 percent. Konica Minolta and Nidec are gaining more than 4 percent each, while Japan Steel Works is adding more than 3 percent. Sharp, CyberAgent and Yamaha are advancing almost 3 percent each.
In economic news, Japan posted a merchandise trade deficit of 461,2 billion yen in October, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday. That missed forecasts for a shortfall of 360.4 billion yen following the upwardly revised 294.1 billion yen deficit in September.
Exports were up 3.1 percent on year at 9.426 trillion yen - exceeding expectations for an increase of 2.2 percent following the 1.7 percent decline in the previous month. Imports rose an annual 0.4 percent to 9.887 trillion yen versus forecasts for a decline of 0.3 percent following the 1.8 percent increase a month earlier.
In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the higher 154 yen-range on Wednesday.
Elsewhere in Asia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are lower by between 0.2 and 0.7 percent each. China, South Korea and Taiwan are higher by between 0.2 and 0.6 percent each. Hong Kong is relatively flat.
On the Wall Street, stocks moved to the downside early in the session on Tuesday but showed a significant rebound over the course of the trading day. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 climbed well off their early lows and into positive territory, although the narrower Dow remained stuck in the red.
The major averages eventually ended the day mixed. While the Dow fell 120.66 points or 0.3 percent to 43,268.94, the S&P 500 rose 23.36 points or 0.4 percent to 5,916.98 and the Nasdaq jumped 195.66 points or 1.0 percent to 18,987.47.
Meanwhile, the major European markets moved to the downside on the day. While the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index edged down by 0.1 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index both slide by 0.7 percent.
Crude oil prices settled higher on Tuesday amid the rising possibility of supply disruptions after Ukraine launched long-range U.S. made missiles to hit a facility in Russia's Bryansk region. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for December rose $0.23 or about 0.3 percent at $69.39 a barrel.
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