Investing.com - Share markets across the Asian-Pacific region opened in a mixed fashion on Wednesday, after the S&P 500 index in the US experienced a slight upswing overnight, primarily driven by gains in utilities stocks.
By 11:25 am AEDT (12:25 am GMT) the S&P/ASX 200 and Nikkei 225 eased 0.1% apiece, while the KOSPI 200 gained 0.3%.
US markets exhibited a mixed performance, with the Nasdaq Composite closing up by 0.4%, the S&P 500 rising by 0.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 0.3%.
High-performing AI chipmaker NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) broke its three-day winning streak with a 0.5% drop, while Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NYSE:NCLH) saw a 20% rally after issuing an optimistic profit outlook. The S&P 500 Utilities sector also saw nearly a 2% increase, boosted by clean-energy company Constellation Energy Corp (NASDAQ:CEG), which rose by 17%.
In the commodities sector, Brent crude oil saw a 1.2% increase to US$83.50 per barrel, while gold experienced a 0.1% decrease to US$2,029.23. Australian government bonds saw an increase in yields, with the 2-Year yield at 3.81% and the 10-Year yield at 4.13%. US Treasury notes showed mixed results, with the 2-Year yield down at 4.71% and the 10-Year yield up at 4.31%.
In Asia, Chinese shares ended higher due to improved investor sentiment and expectations of further policy support measures. Major stocks including SMIC and BYD saw increases, while the Bank of Hangzhou and Ping An Bank reported declines. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and Japan's Nikkei Stock Average also ended on a positive note, driven by gains in carmakers and consumer stocks.
In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 index rose slightly by 0.1% to 495.71 as investors proceeded with caution ahead of the upcoming US and Eurozone inflation data. Germany's DAX index outperformed, rising by 0.4% to a record intraday high, while the UK's FTSE 100 and France's CAC 40 indices remained flat.