Asia-Pacific markets retreat as investors brace for key data from China and Japan
Aerial view of traffic flowing through a central business district in Beijing, China.
Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images
Markets across the Asia-Pacific slipped Monday after Wall Street cooled on Friday, as investors take a cautious pause from the AI rally.
“Friday was a value-outperforms-growth day,” said Jed Ellerbroek, portfolio manager at Argent Capital Management. “Investors are clearly skittish about AI—not outright pessimistic, but tentative, cautious, and hesitant.”
Traders in the region will be watching for important releases from both China and Japan. China is due to report November’s retail sales, fixed asset investment, and industrial output, while Japan will unveil its fourth-quarter Tankan survey, which gauges business sentiment among large and small firms.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 opened down about 0.66%. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid roughly 1.3% and the Topix declined about 0.27%. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 2.16%, and the small-cap Kosdaq fell around 1.17%.
In Hong Kong, Hang Seng index futures pointed to a lower open, trading around 25,735, versus the prior close of 25,976.79.
Key upcoming data from China and Japan could set the tone for regional sentiment in the week ahead, with further market moves likely to hinge on the interpretation of growth signals and the ongoing AI sector narrative.
