Asian shares trade mixed as markets eye oil prices, US bonds, and currency fluctuations

• Japan will release August department store sales for the Tokyo area and nationwide on the 25th at 2:30 p.m. JST. • Investors are specifically monitoring US durable goods orders and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index to gauge the US economy's trajectory.

• Indian stock indices Sensex and Nifty 50 maintained marginal gains at noon on September 25, 2026, despite global market headwinds. • Hong Kong stocks declined on Friday, with technology shares leading the losses during a period of low trading volume.

• Hong Kong stocks declined sharply on Friday as investors waited for details from the Trump-Xi summit. • The Hang Seng index fell 1.7% and the Hang Seng Tech Index dropped over 2%, led by losses in technology and AI shares.

• Indian equities experienced a sharp selloff on Thursday, with the Sensex plunging 1,248 points and the Nifty falling 1.6%. • The decline was driven by US Treasury yields reaching 19-year highs and crude oil prices remaining above $100 per barrel.

• European shares declined as investors reacted to ongoing Middle East tensions and upcoming diplomatic talks between the US and China. • Oil prices stayed above $100 per barrel, which supported energy companies while aerospace and defense stocks faced downward pressure.

• The European Central Bank faces a major overhaul of its six-seat Executive Board in 2027. • Three seats, including those of the president and chief economist, will change hands between May and December of that year.

• European stocks are relying on strong fourth-quarter corporate earnings to sustain a year-end rally. • The Stoxx 600 index has risen 8.1%, but this growth is vulnerable to profit misses and currency fluctuations.

• The European House-Ambrosetti (TEHA) and Amazon released a study showing that fragmentation across EU Member States causes Europe to miss out on an estimated €120 billion in annual investment. • The report identifies specific national successes to scale, such as Estonia's digital infrastructure, France's AI leadership, and the Netherlands' English-language Commercial Court.

• Australia released its August Labour Force Survey this week showing a surprise increase in employment. • Total employment rose by 39.5k, but the unemployment rate increased from 4.5% to 4.6% as more people entered the workforce.

• Tech firms led the world's largest foreign investments in 2025, according to data from The fDi Report 2026. • A Taiwanese company made the largest single investment of the year with a $100-billion project in Arizona.

• US stock markets ended Thursday with mixed results as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 162.41 points and the S&P 500 dipped 0.03%. • The yield on 30-year US Treasury bonds climbed to its highest level since 2004 following data showing strong economic growth and inflation.