Hang Seng Index, Kospi, Nikkei 225
19 November 2025, China, Shanghai: Boats sail previous downtown Shanghai on the Huangpu River. The tallest constructing on the skyline is the Shanghai Tower (rear).
Bernd von Jutrczenka | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
South Korea’s Kospi plunged 8% Wednesday, on observe for its worst day since August 2024, and increasing a steep selloff from the earlier session amid an escalating warfare within the Middle East.
The Korea Exchange quickly halted trading for the Kospi index on Wednesday. A circuit breaker was additionally activated on the Kosdaq, which additionally fell by over 8%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 misplaced 3.89%, whereas the Topix declined greater than 4%.
Investors within the area will even be watching an annual parliamentary assembly by China’s policymakers that kicks off later within the day.
The gathering, dubbed the “Two Sessions,” consists of a consultative congress that may begin later within the day, and a National People’s Congress as a result of open Thursday. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is ready to announce a sequence of financial targets on the NPC, which had largely been decided at a December meeting.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.81%. Hong Kong Hang Seng index misplaced virtually 2%, whereas the mainland CSI 300 was down 1%.
China’s manufacturing unit exercise faltered in February as producers paused manufacturing and cargo shipments to have a good time an prolonged vacation, an official survey confirmed on Wednesday.
The official manufacturing buying managers index fell to 49 in February, in line with the National Bureau of Statistics, lacking economists’ forecast for 49.1.
Oil costs extended gains with US crude futures up 0.87% to $75.21, whereas Brent was up 5.43% at $81.96 per barrel amid a widening battle, with Iran attempting to close the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil costs year-to-date
A senior commander from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard mentioned on Monday that the critical artery had been shut and warned that any vessel making an attempt to transit the waterway could be focused, in line with Iranian media.
US President Donald Trump mentioned Tuesday afternoon that the US Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuzif essential.
“No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,” he mentioned in a Truth Social post. “The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH — More actions to come.”
Prices of valuable metals rose. spot gold superior 1.85% to $5,180 per ounce, whereas spot silver jumped over 3% to $85.1 per ounce.
Overnight within the US, socks had one other wild session as considerations round a chronic US-Iran battle rattled markets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average misplaced 403.51 factors, or 0.83%, and ended at 48,501.27. The S&P 500 slipped 0.94% to shut at 6,816.63, whereas the Nasdaq Composite shed 1.02% to settle at 22,516.69. At their lows of the day, the S&P 500 misplaced 2.5%, and the Nasdaq was down about 2.7%. The 30-stock Dow was down greater than 1,200 factors, or round 2.6%, at its nadir.
—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
