On Monday morning (1 September, 9:24 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific showed a mixed performance as investors parsed a barrage of economic signals out of China alongside evolving geopolitical and trade developments.
China’s newly rebranded RatingDog manufacturing metric—formerly known as the Caixin PMI—posted a slight uptick to 50.5 in August, marking a return to growth territory after dipping to 49.5 in July. This followed official figures released on Sunday that showed China’s manufacturing activity contracted for a fifth straight month, albeit with a marginal improvement, rising to 49.4 from 49.3.
Market participants are also tracking the outcome of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where Chinese and Indian leaders agreed to frame their relationship more as collaborative partners rather than adversaries.
Additionally, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dealt a blow to President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, ruling that the sweeping levies implemented under his administration exceeded presidential authority. The decision could pave the way for a recalibration in U.S. trade policy.
Japan’s NIKKEI slumped by 1.82% to 41,939.27. South Korea’s KOSPI decreased by 0.51% to 3,169.84, and Australia’s ASX 200 fell by 0.57% to 8,922.1.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC grew by 0.3% to 3,869.45. Hong Kong’s HSI jumped by 2.1% to 25,604.7, and Shenzhen’s SZI surged by 0.23% to 12,725.53.
The U.S. stock markets edged down on Friday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) lost 0.2% to 45,544.88. NASDAQ dropped by 1.15% to 21,455.55, and S&P 500 declined by 0.64% to 6,460.26. VIX advanced by 6.44% to 15.36.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Friday as traders grew increasingly concerned about diminishing demand in the United States, coupled with expectations that OPEC and allied producers will ramp up supply in the coming months. October Brent crude ended its run at $68.12 a barrel, down 0.73%, while the more liquid November contract dropped 0.78% to $67.45. West Texas Intermediate fell 0.91% to settle at $64.01.
This morning, Brent futures slid 30 cents or 0.44% to $67.18 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dipped 29 cents or 0.45% to $63.72 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures increased by 0.44% to $3,531.6 per Troy ounce.
