Asian Markets Mostly Decline on Tuesday, Amid Broad Sector Weakness

 

Asian markets broadly declined on Tuesday, February 25, with China’s A-shares and Hong Kong tech stocks showing significant weakness. Japan also faced losses, particularly in large-cap stocks, while sectors like energy metals, automotive, and wind power saw some gains. South Korea and Malaysia posted smaller declines.

 

The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.80%, closing at 3,346.04 points, and the Shenzhen Component Index dropped 1.17%, finishing at 10,854.50 points. The ChiNext Index declined 1.13%, closing at 2,240.59 points. Among sectors, energy metals, automotive, wind power equipment, and auto parts stocks saw relative strength, while other sectors faced declines.

 

In Hong Kong, The Hang Seng Index fell 1.32%, closing at 23,341.61 points, while the Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 1.57%. Alibaba-W dropped 3.76%, Tencent Holdings fell 2.49%, and Meituan-W dropped 4.74%, reflecting broad weakness in the tech sector. However, Xiaomi-W posted a 3.10% increase, while SMIC saw a 1.45% drop.

 

Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 1.39%, closing at 38,357.39 points. Hitachi saw a sharp decline of over 8%, while five major trading companies posted strong gains, contributing to some upside in an otherwise weak market.

In other Asian markets, South Korea’s KOSPI fell 0.57%, closing at 2,630.29 points, while Malaysia’s FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI dropped 0.92%, reaching 1,569.77 points. In India, the S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.33%, closing at 74,698.49 points, and Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index saw a 2.41% drop as of 16:12 SGT.