Asia Wrap: Japan Inflation Holds Above 2% as Oil and AI Concerns Keep Markets on Edge
Asian trading closed against a backdrop of oil near $101 a barrel, AI-related risk concerns and Japan inflation above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target. The NZX 50 ended down 0.1% at 13,734; the Sensex edged up about 0.1%.
New Zealand equities -0.1%Tech-sector pressure, elevated oil and caution ahead of next week’s RBNZ and Fed decisions.
Indian equities +0.1%Technology gains offset concern about crude prices and geopolitical tensions.
Nasdaq futures +0.2%Snapshot showed a modest rebound after AI-linked tech selling.
WTI crude +1.4%Supply concerns and Middle East tensions supported prices.
Lead: Asian trading closed with oil near $101 a barrel, AI-related risk concerns and Japan inflation above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target. The NZX 50 fell 0.1% to 13,734, while the Sensex edged up about 0.1%.
Session narrative: Japan’s September overall and core CPI were both 2.1% year over year; core-core inflation was 2.4%. New Zealand shares slipped as investors looked ahead to next week’s RBNZ and Fed decisions.
Cross-asset check: WTI gained 1.4% to $100.86 and Brent rose 1.2% to $114.53. Nasdaq futures were up 0.2% in the snapshot, while S&P 500 futures were little changed.
Themes & continuing stories: Oil supply risks and AI-linked tech concerns remain in focus. The BoJ flagged pressure from higher energy and raw-material costs, especially for SMEs.
What’s ahead: Next week brings the RBNZ monetary policy decision and the Fed interest rate decision; attention now turns to the Europe open.