Asian shares trade mixed as SoftBank plunge caps Nikkei gains
Asian shares traded mixed Wednesday, reflecting global volatility after Wall Street swings. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was capped by SoftBank Group’s 10% drop, dragging the Asian shares complex lower. MSCI Asia ex-Japan dipped 0.2%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.3%. China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.4%, and South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.3% as the tech-heavy Kosdaq gained 0.7%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2%, and New Zealand’s NZX50 rose 0.4%. In India, the Sensex and Nifty were up 0.1% and 0.2% respectively. Traders are positioning ahead of US CPI data that could affect Fed rate decisions. The US dollar stabilized, with USD/JPY near 151 and AUD/USD around 0.657. Oil prices strengthened, and Bitcoin (BTC) remained near key levels as macro factors guide crypto market sentiment. Asian shares may continue to fluctuate as investors assess global inflation and central bank signals.
Neutral
The mixed performance of Asian shares, capped by a steep decline in SoftBank, and steady currency moves suggest limited immediate spillover into the crypto market. Historically, equity volatility combined with a stable dollar tends to produce a neutral stance among crypto traders, as risk appetite shifts but macro drivers remain unclear. In the short term, Bitcoin may mirror broader risk trends without a distinct directional bias. Long-term, persistent inflation concerns and central bank policy will dictate market momentum, but this specific equity volatility episode is unlikely to trigger a strong bullish or bearish crypto reaction.