Asia stocks retreat as US inflation data fuels rate outlook concerns

Investing.com– Most Asian stock markets declined on Thursday as investors were cautious about the U.S. interest rate outlook after a stubbornly strong inflation print, while South Korean stocks were muted despite an unexpected rate cut by its central bank.

Regional markets took a weak lead-in from Wall Street, as U.S. stock benchmarks fell from record highs after a swathe of strong economic readings. Losses in major technology stocks also weighed

Data showed that the –   U.S. Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of underlying inflation picked up in line with estimates. Another reading showed that the U.S. economy expanded at a solid pace in the third quarter.

Wall Street futures were flat in Asian trade, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Sentiment towards regional markets also remained weak after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose additional trade tariffs on China, which could spark a renewed trade war between the world’s biggest economies.

China’s index fell 0.4%, while the  index was largely unchanged. Hong Kong’s  index declined 1.2%.

Chinese equities are expected to face near-term headwinds as lingering tariff uncertainties and limited domestic stimulus dampen market sentiment, UBS analyst said in a note.

Thailand’s  dropped 0.3%, and the Philippines’  index lost 0.8%, while India’s pointed to a muted open.

Bucking the trend, Japan’s  and indexes rose 0.6%, and 0.5% respectively.

Bank of Korea cuts rates by another 25 bps

South Korea’s central bank cut for a second straight meeting on Thursday in a surprise move, as it warned that economic growth was likely to slow further in the coming year.

The index was largely unchanged, as gains were capped by a slide in technology stocks, tracking overnight losses in the tech-heavy index.

Seoul listed shares of Samsung Electronics Co (KS:) fell nearly 2%, while LG Electronics Inc (KS:) shares were down 0.3%.

The Index, which is also a tech-heavy index, was muted.

Investors mull over US data for rate outlook

Recent U.S. data has dampened expectations for rate cuts in early 2025, with investors now betting that the central bank will leave rates unchanged at its January and March meetings. Adding to that, incoming president Donald Trump’s policies are seen as inflationary and could lead to higher-for-longer interest rates.

Weekly jobless claims data was slightly better than expected, while the minutes of the Fed’s November meeting showed this week that policymakers favored a gradual easing in rates. 

However, a 25 basis points cut is still widely expected at the Fed’s December meeting.