Thursday 18th December 2025: Asian Markets Slide as Tech Weakness and Inflation Caution Weigh on Sentiment

Global Markets:

•  Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down -1.24%, Shanghai Composite up 0.16%, Hang Seng down -0.50% ASX down -0.19%
• Commodities : Gold at $4,363.35 (-0.23%), Silver at $66.605 (-0.46%), Brent Oil at $60.05 (0.62%), WTI Oil at $56.20 (0.70%)
• Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.140, UK 10-year yield at 4.4800, Germany 10-year yield at 2.8642

News & Data:

• (USD) Crude Oil Inventories  -1.3M  to -2.4M expected

Markets Update:

Asian markets are trading mostly lower on Thursday, tracking broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight, as renewed concerns over lofty technology stock valuations weighed on sentiment following a sharp decline in the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Investors across the region remained cautious and refrained from taking major positions ahead of the release of key U.S. consumer price inflation data later in the day, which could influence expectations for the future path of interest rates. Asian markets had closed mixed in the previous session.

The Australian share market is modestly lower, extending losses for a fourth consecutive session. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has slipped well below the 8,600 level, dragged down by weakness in gold miners and technology stocks, even as performance across other sectors remains mixed. Major miners are showing selective strength, while oil stocks are trading unevenly. Technology shares are broadly under pressure, and gold miners are mostly lower amid soft bullion prices. Among individual stocks, Boss Energy has plunged sharply after flagging significant deviations from earlier forecasts for its Honeymoon project. The Australian dollar is hovering near US$0.660.

Japan’s market is also sharply lower, reversing the previous day’s gains, with losses led by index heavyweights and technology shares. Banking stocks are mixed, while exporters and industrial names are mostly weaker. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea is down more than 1 percent, while most other regional markets are modestly lower or flat.

On Wall Street, U.S. stocks fell sharply, led by heavy losses in technology shares, while European markets ended mixed. Oil prices rebounded after geopolitical developments involving Venezuela boosted supply concerns.

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The post Thursday 18th December 2025: Asian Markets Slide as Tech Weakness and Inflation Caution Weigh on Sentiment first appeared on IC Markets | Official Blog.