Asian Shares Mixed Ahead Of Fed Decision, Tech Earnings

(RTTNews) - Asian stocks turned in a mixed performance on Wednesday ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision and earnings from mega-cap tech earnings.

The dollar sank to levels last seen four years ago after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was not concerned about the weakening.

Gold broke through $5250 for the first time as U.S.-Iran tensions escalated and a partial U.S. government shutdown loomed over an immigration dispute.

After deploying USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in West Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump said there's another beautiful armada floating beautifully toward Iran.

The U.S. announced a multi-day military exercise in the Middle East to bolster its military presence in the region. Iranian officials issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for live-fire military activity in the airspace along the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices were steady in Aian trade following a dramatic 3 percent surge on Tuesday, the sharpest daily increase in months, after a winter storm disrupted U.S. crude output and exports.

China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.27 percent to 4,151.24 as a firmer PBOC fixing lifted the offshore yuan to a 32-month high.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rallied 2.58 percent to 27,826.91 after China Vanke secured a 2.36-billion-yuan (US$339.3 million) loan from Shenzhen Metro Group, its largest shareholder, to repay bond principal and interest.

Japanese markets ended little changed as the Bank of Japan's December minutes showed board members supported further rate hikes if the outlook for growth and prices holds.

The Nikkei average finished marginally higher at 53,358.71 while the broader Topix index fell 0.79 percent to 3,535.49. Tech shares and AI-linked names gained ground, offsetting the drag from a stronger yen.

SoftBank Group Corp shares surged 3.7 percent after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is in talks to invest up to $30 billion more in OpenAI.

Seoul stocks hit a new peak after U.S. President Trump said his administration will "work something out" with Seoul over a trade deal.

The Kospi average surged 1.69 percent to 5,170.81, led by strong gains in chipmakers and battery stocks.

Chip giant Samsung Electronics climbed 1.8 percent and SK Hynix jumped 5.1 percent ahead of their fourth-quarter earnings due later this week.

Australian markets ended on a subdued note, snapping a three-day rally after inflation came in at 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, its highest level in six quarters, fueling bets the Reserve Bank will lift rates as early as next week.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 finished marginally lower at 8,933.90 while the broader All Ordinaries index settled 0.19 percent lower at 9,250.60.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index ended down 0.73 percent at 13,412.87, reversing gains from the previous session.

Overnight, U.S. stocks ended mixed despite upbeat earnings news from big-name companies like General Motors and UPS.

Raising concerns about the broader economy and job market, a survey showed U.S. consumer confidence dropped to its lowest level since 2014.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.9 percent on optimism around tech earnings. The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent to extend gains for a fifth straight session and notch a record closing high on upbeat news from memory chipmakers.

The Dow gave up 0.8 percent as health insurance stocks fell amid concerns over future Medicare payments.