Investing.com - Asian shares were mostly weaker on Wednesday with heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula sent caution through markets.
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.28%, whole declined 0.70%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index bucked the trend to climb 0.52%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was off 0.09% and the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.18%. Singapore was closed for the National Day public holiday.
China reported consumer and producer prices for July with CPI up 0.1%, compared to a 0.2% gain seen on month and at a 1.4% annual pace, compared to an expected 1.5% rise on year. PPI rose 5.5% as expected.
Overnight, the Dow snapped a nine-day winning streak on Tuesday as geopolitical tensions grew after President Trump warned North Korea that any threats ‘will be met with fire and fury, sparking geopolitical jitters.
Pyongyang responded on Wednesday with a threat to fire missiles at the Pacific island of Guam, where the U.S. has extensive military facilities.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed lower at 22,085. The S&P 500 traded 0.24% lower while the Nasdaq Composite traded at 6370.46, down 0.21%.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned North Korea about facing "fire and fury" if the isolated nation makes more threats to the United States.
His comments came hours after revelations Kim Jong-un led nation has successfully created a miniaturized nuclear weapon designed to fit inside its missiles.
President Trump’s comments sparked geopolitical concerns, offsetting earlier gains in US markets, following data showing U.S. jobs openings topped expectations.
U.S. job openings, a measure of labor demand, increased 461,000 to a seasonally adjusted 6.2 million, the highest level since the series started in December 2000, the Labor Department said on Tuesday.
U.S. corporate earnings later in the week are expected to provide the market with further direction, as Macy’s kicks off the department store earnings on Thursday.