Global stock markets showed a downward trend on Wednesday, primarily due to selling pressures on technology shares, following a lackluster session on Wall Street.
In Europe, France’s CAC 40 index dropped 0.5% to 8,213.90, and the German DAX index fell 0.3% to 24,251.58. In contrast, Britain’s FTSE 100 index rose 0.6% to 9,487.52.
Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained largely unchanged. The S&P 500 was nearly flat on Tuesday, while the Dow gained 0.5%. The Nasdaq composite index experienced a slight decline of 0.2%.
In Asia, Chinese markets retreated following US President Donald Trump’s comments, which cast uncertainty on his upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. During a lunch event with Republican senators at the White House, Trump remarked, “Maybe it won’t happen, maybe it won’t happen.” However, he expressed optimism about the negotiations, stating, “I’m going to see President Xi in two weeks… We’re going to talk about a lot of things they want to discuss.”
Trump will also visit Japan and South Korea in the coming days, aiming to finalize investment agreements that would help mitigate the tariff rates imposed on foreign goods.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell by 0.9% to 25,781.77, while China’s Shanghai Composite index decreased slightly by less than 0.1% to 3,913.76. Japan’s Nikkei 225 experienced fluctuations but closed almost flat at 49,307.79, hindered by declines in tech sectors, particularly SoftBank Group Corp, whose shares dropped nearly 5%.
Japan’s government reported a 4.2% growth in exports for September compared to the previous year, driven by strong shipments to Asia that offset a 13% decline in exports to the US. Notably, auto shipments saw a significant reduction of 24%, primarily due to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index decreased by 0.7% to 9,030.00, while South Korea’s Kospi index saw an increase of 1.6% to 3,883.68.
Upcoming corporate earnings are anticipated to shed light on the health of the US economy amid the ongoing government shutdown, which has delayed crucial economic updates. The current situation complicates the Federal Reserve’s decision-making process as it attempts to navigate high inflation and a softening job market.
Despite the shutdown, the Commerce Department is set to release its consumer prices report on Friday, which could influence the Fed’s interest rate policy. This will mark the first significant data release since the government shutdown commenced on October 1.
In energy markets, benchmark US crude oil saw an increase of 96 cents, reaching $58.20 a barrel, while Brent crude rose by 99 cents to $62.31 a barrel. In currency trading, the US dollar fell to 151.71 Japanese yen from 151.93 yen, while the euro decreased to $1.1594 from $1.1600.
Published on October 22, 2025.
