Asia-Pacific stocks experienced mixed trading on Wednesday, August 9. Hong Kong stocks gained, with the Hang Seng Index up 0.3% at 19,246.03. In contrast, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.5% to 32,204.33.
China’s Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.5% to 3,244.49, while Singapore’s stock exchange was closed for the day. However, South Korea’s KOSPI Composite Index increased by a solid 1.2% to 2,605.12. Australian stocks also saw gains, with the S&P/ASX 200 Benchmark Index rising 0.4% to 7,338.00.
Notable Performers
Among the Hang Seng Index constituents, pharmaceuticals company Hansoh Pharmaceutical saw the largest increase on Wednesday, with its shares rising by 3.8%. Similarly, pharmaceuticals firm Sino Biopharmaceutical and clothing company Shenzhou Intl Group experienced significant increases of 2.9% and 2.6%, respectively.
On the other hand, commercial banking company China Merchants Bank witnessed the largest decrease in Hong Kong, as its shares fell by 2.1% on Wednesday. Renewable energy equipment firm Xinyi Solar Holdings and real estate services/transactions company Country Garden Holdings also saw their shares dip by 1.9% and 1.8%, respectively.
Among the constituents of the Nikkei 225 Index, steel production company Kobe Steel was the top performer on Wednesday, with its shares jumping by a substantial 12.5%. Construction firm Kajima and measuring/precision instruments company Yokogawa Electric also experienced notable increases of 8.5% and 8.4%, respectively.
However, two Japanese companies faced significant declines in their share prices. Heating/cooling/air treatment equipment company Daikin Industries saw its shares plunge by 11.4%, while photographic equipment firm Nikon Corp. and security/privacy software company Trend Micro witnessed declines of 11.2% and 7.8%, respectively.
