(Bloomberg) -- Most stocks in Asia fell Wednesday as investors continued to monitor geopolitical developments and watch earnings reports for signs of health in the global economy. The pound extended its slide.
Shares in Japan were flat, though retreated in China, Seoul and Sydney. Hong Kong underperformed as the Financial Times reported that the Chinese government is drafting a plan to replace Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Chip stocks fell in Asia after a forecast from Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) trailed forecasts. U.S. stock futures slid after the S&P 500 Index fell overnight as developments on Brexit sapped risk appetite. Treasury yields were steady after falling on Tuesday.
The U.K. Parliament blocked Boris Johnson’s plan to rush his Brexit deal into law, leaving proceedings in limbo and a British election looking likely. European Council President Donald Tusk said he’d recommend the EU accept the U.K.’s request for an extension.
Away from politics, it’s a huge week for earnings, with about 20% of S&P 500 members slated to report results. So far the numbers have generally surprised positively, reassuring investors that companies are weathering slowing growth and the trade war. All the same, analysts are cutting estimates for next year as the dispute between the world’s biggest economies continues to take a toll.
“The market wants to move higher and it is conflicted because the earnings are pretty good but the geopolitics are worrisome,” Kirk Hartman, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) Asset Management, told Bloomberg TV. “We’ll see how this plays out but certainly it is a mixed message.”
Elsewhere, oil dipped, retracing some of Tuesday’s jump triggered by a report that OPEC and allied crude producers will discuss deepening supply cuts next month.
Here are some key events coming up this week:
- Earnings season is in full swing with companies reporting including: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), Daimler and Kia Motors.
- Thursday brings monetary policy decisions from the European Central Bank and Bank Indonesia.
- U.S. factory orders for business equipment will provide a look into the strength of capital investment in September. The figures will show to what extent the latest tranche of tariffs on China and others is impacting investment decisions.
Stocks
- Japan’s Topix index added 0.1% as of 12:37 p.m. in Tokyo.
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 0.9%.
- The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.3%.
- South Korea’s Kospi index slid 0.5%.
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 0.2%.
- Futures on the S&P 500 Index lost 0.3%. The underlying gauge lost 0.4% on Tuesday.
- Euro Stoxx 50 contracts dropped 0.7%.
- MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost 0.3%.
- The yen was at 108.34 per dollar, up 0.1%.
- The offshore yuan held at 7.0823 per dollar.
- The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index edged 0.1% higher.
- The euro bought $1.1120.
- The British pound was at $1.2851, down 0.2% after Tuesday’s 0.7% decline.
- The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell one basis point to 1.75%.
- Australian 10-year yields slid six basis points to 1.11%.
- West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 0.8% to $54.02 a barrel.
- Gold was at $1,489.21 an ounce, up 0.1%.