In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 closed down 11.50, or -0.16%, at 6,986.80, and the All Ordinaries closed down 4.30, or -0.06%, in line with fellow Asian stocks. The losers were Pointsbet Holdings-11.85%, Mineral Resources-5.87%, and Tabcorp Holdings-4.95%. Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals (+16.19%), Zip (+11.70%), and Mesoblast (+8.92%) were the gainers.
The Nikkei in Tokyo closed down 104.05 points, or -0.37%, at 28,091.53 on Tuesday (August 30), tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The worst performers were Inpex Corp.-3.55%, Eneos Holdings-3.09%, and Unitika-2.99%. The best performers were Keisei Electric Railway+3.72%, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings+2.99%, and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.+2.95%.
South Korea’s Composite Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,472.05 points, up 21.12 points, or 0.86%, despite investor concerns about a possible interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) after U.S. employment data indicated a stronger-than-expected labor market. The gainers were Han Kook Steel (+21.51%), Kumbi (+12.38%), and Isu Chemical Co (+11.82%). The losers were Doosan Heavy Ind. & Const-6.22%, Taihan Electric Wine Co-5.78% and Namhae Chemical-4.44%.
China’s Shanghai Composite closed down 25.08, or -0.78%, at 3,202.14 after reports of tightening measures to control COVID-19 in major Chinese cities. The market was also under pressure as China’s manufacturing index contracted for the second consecutive month. The worst performers were Jiangsu Goodwe Power Supply Technology(-20%), Zhejiang Narada Power Source(-19.32%), and Shenzhen. Kexin Communication(-15.88%). The best performers were Shanghai New Culture Media Gr+20.11%, ChemPartner PharmaTech+20%, and Dook Media Group+19.98%.
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong closed slightly higher at 19,954.39 points, up 5.36 points or 0.03%, as investors recovered the morning’s decline but the market was pressured by sluggish Chinese economic data. The best performers were China Tangshan (+75.52%), Wing Fung Group Asin (+37.50%), and Redco Healthy Living (+33.82%). The worst performers were China Financial International Invest (-33.08%), Wan Leder International (-22.86%), and Alco (-20.90%).
In Thailand, the SET closed at 1,638.93, down -0.52 or -0.03%. The losers were Jasmine Telecom Systems -9.09%, Siam Food -5.58%, and Thai Capital -5.45%. The winners were Syn Munkong Insurance +29.89%, Nova Organic +14.49%, and Crown Tech Advance +10.71%.