\ud83d\udcc9 Market Overview
- Most Asian stocks fell on Thursday amid concerns over high U.S. interest rates and increased trade tariffs.
- Hong Kong led regional losses as the AI-driven rally slowed.
- U.S. stock index futures dipped after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors.
\ud83c\udf0f Impact on Asian Markets
\ud83d\udccc Japan
- Nikkei 225: -1.7% | TOPIX: -1.5%
- Automakers hit hard:
- Toyota (NYSE:TM) & Honda (TYO:7267) fell over 2% due to dependence on U.S. sales.
\ud83d\udccc South Korea
- KOSPI: -0.6% | Pulled back after last week’s strong rally.
\ud83d\udccc Australia
- ASX 200: -1.3% | Commodity-exporters under pressure.
- Employment data stronger than expected, boosting hawkish bets on the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), limiting rate cut prospects.
\ud83d\udccc Singapore
- Straits Times Index: -0.1% | Minimal decline but cautious sentiment persists.
\ud83d\udd11 Key Takeaways
\u2714 Trump’s tariff threats rattled Asian markets, hitting trade-sensitive sectors.
\u2714 Japanese automakers suffered as they rely heavily on U.S. sales.
\u2714 Hawkish central bank policies weighed on Australian stocks.
\u2714 The AI-fueled rally in Hong Kong lost steam, adding to losses.
