Asia-Pacific markets displayed a mixed performance on February 26, 2025, according to CNBC Indonesia. Japan's Nikkei 225 and Topix indices declined for the second consecutive day, down 0.56% and 0.44%, respectively. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 also fell by 0.47%. Conversely, South Korea's Kospi rose by 0.12%, and the Kosdaq gained 0.25%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index opened higher by 1.69%.
Wall Street showed a lack of cohesion, with the S&P 500 decreasing by 0.47% to 5,955.25 for its fourth consecutive session and the Nasdaq falling by 1.35% to 19,026.39. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, rose by 0.37% to 43,621.16. The decline in US markets was attributed to a drop in technology and consumer goods stocks, spurred by a Conference Board survey indicating a weakening economy.
Ross Mayfield of Baird Private Wealth Management noted that these data points raise concerns about the strength of the US economy's fundamentals. Market participants are exercising caution amid these signals of economic deceleration.