South Korean Stocks Lead Asia Gains as Kospi Rises 1%

Singapore — Asian markets traded mixed on Wednesday, with South Korea leading regional gains while Japanese equities fell under pressure from major tech and pharmaceutical stocks.

The Kospi index advanced 1%, supported by strength in blue-chip shares, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.64%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.81% after briefly hitting an intraday record high of 8,983. Mainland China’s CSI 300 rose 0.48%, though Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.14%.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.57%, weighed down by declines in Daiichi Sankyo, SoftBank Group, and Oriental Land. Bond yields also added to the pressure, with Japan’s 20-year government yield reaching 2.646%, its highest in 26 years.

Investors are closely watching India’s HSBC Composite PMI reading for August, expected later in the day, for signals on regional economic momentum. Meanwhile, U.S. equity futures were steady after Wall Street posted losses, with the Nasdaq down 0.67% and the S&P 500 marking its fourth straight decline.