Stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region presented a mixed picture on Wednesday, 3rd December 2025, as robust gains for technology shares in some areas were counterbalanced by declines in China following disappointing economic indicators.
Tech-Led Gains in Japan and South Korea
The session's standout performance came from Tokyo, where the Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.6% to close at 50,063.65. This surge was powered by significant advances in key technology firms. Semiconductor equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron saw its shares rise by 5.6%, while Advantest, a producer of chip-testing gear, surged by an impressive 6.9%.
In a notable move, shares of the technology and telecoms conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. soared more than 8%. This rally followed reports that the company's founder, Masayoshi Son, expressed regret over the recent sale of its stake in the chipmaker Nvidia. The sale, which raised $5.8 billion last month to fund other investments, had previously weighed on SoftBank's share price.
South Korea's Kospi index also enjoyed a tech-fuelled lift, gaining 1.2% to finish at 4,042.40. The nation's corporate giant, Samsung Electronics, contributed to the rise with a 1.8% increase in its share value.
Chinese Markets Dip on Economic Concerns
In contrast to its regional neighbours, China's markets moved into negative territory. The decline was triggered by the release of official data pointing to weaker-than-expected factory activity, raising fresh concerns about the pace of economic recovery.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 1.1% to 25,797.24, while the Shanghai Composite on the mainland shed 0.3% to end the day at 3,885.36. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 managed a modest gain of 0.2%, closing at 8,595.20.
Wall Street Stability and Key Movers
The Asian trading day followed a steadier session on Wall Street. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 6,829.37, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4% to 47,474.46, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6% to 23,413.67.
Leading the charge was aerospace giant Boeing, which soared 10.1% after its CFO projected growth in cash generation for the coming year. Database firm MongoDB also provided a significant boost, skyrocketing 22.2% after delivering quarterly results that surpassed analysts' forecasts.
However, not all news was positive. Signet Jewelers saw its shares drop 6.8% after issuing a cautious revenue forecast for the crucial holiday shopping season, citing a "measured consumer environment." Similarly, Procter & Gamble shares slipped 1.1% after its CFO hinted at potential softness in U.S. consumer spending.
Bond Yields, Bitcoin, and Central Bank Watch
In the bond market, U.S. Treasury yields stabilised after recent jumps. The benchmark 10-year yield edged down to 4.08% from 4.09%, while the two-year yield eased to 3.51% from 3.54%. This calm followed a spike prompted by hints from the Bank of Japan governor that a rate hike could be imminent.
Market attention remains fixed on central banks. Mizuho Bank analyst Tan Boon Heng suggested the Bank of Japan is likely to raise its benchmark rate at its 19th December meeting to prevent a sell-off of the yen. Concurrently, expectations are high that the U.S. Federal Reserve may cut its main interest rate at its upcoming meeting, despite inflation persisting above its 2% target.
In other markets, bitcoin staged a strong rebound, rising to $94,000 after tumbling below $85,000 earlier in the week. In early Wednesday trading, U.S. benchmark crude oil was virtually unchanged at $58.67 per barrel. The U.S. dollar softened slightly against the Japanese yen, trading at 155.68 yen.
Reporting contributions from AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Stan Choe.
