Asian Stocks Rise on Wall Street Gains, Chinese Stocks Lag Amid Weak Data

Most Asian stocks climbed on Tuesday, tracking Wall Street’s record highs as the third-quarter earnings season approached. However, Chinese markets lagged due to disappointing economic data and fading optimism over fiscal stimulus measures from Beijing.

Regional markets benefited from Wall Street’s strong performance, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average both hitting new peaks, driven by gains in financial and technology stocks. U.S. stock futures remained mildly positive in Asian trading, with attention now shifting to key earnings reports due this week.

Chinese Markets Struggle Amid Weak Data, Disappointing Stimulus
Chinese stocks underperformed their Asian peers, reflecting concerns over weak economic data and lackluster stimulus measures. Both the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes remained flat-to-low, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 0.5%.

Investors had initially cheered Beijing’s announcement of new fiscal stimulus, but enthusiasm quickly waned as the government failed to provide crucial details about the scale and timing of the measures. Weak economic data further dampened sentiment. China’s trade balance grew less than expected in September, with export growth slowing significantly, while inflation data from earlier in the week continued to show persistent disinflation.

Nikkei Crosses 40,000, ASX 200 Hits Record High
Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 1.7%, crossing the 40,000 mark for the first time since mid-July, driven by strong gains in technology stocks, particularly chipmakers. The broader TOPIX index also rose by 1%. Japanese markets were buoyed by reports of a $2.3 billion IPO by Tokyo Metro, the country’s largest public offering in six years.

Meanwhile, Australia’s ASX 200 hit a record high of 8,327.60 points, gaining 0.9%, led by mining giants BHP Group and Rio Tinto ahead of their upcoming quarterly production reports. The Australian market’s strength was supported by global investor interest in economically sensitive sectors expected to benefit from falling interest rates.

Other Asian Markets Show Mixed Performance
South Korea’s KOSPI added 0.2%, while India’s Nifty 50 index futures pointed to a slightly negative opening. Despite September’s higher-than-expected inflation data in India, the Nifty closed above 25,000 points on Monday, signaling resilience in the Indian market.

While optimism surrounding U.S. earnings helped boost many Asian markets, Chinese stocks struggled as the lack of concrete stimulus measures and weak economic readings weighed heavily on sentiment. Investors now look ahead to upcoming earnings reports and further economic developments.