The Hong Kong stock market on Tuesday snapped the three-day losing streak in which it had surrendered almost 630 points or 2.3 percent. The Hang Seng Index now rests just above the 27,510-point plateau, and it's looking at a steady start for Wednesday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets is flat and mixed amid apprehension regarding the outlook for interest rates, along with a decline in crude oil prices. The European and U.S. markets were mixed but little changed and the Asian bourses figure to follow suit.
The Hang Seng finished barely higher on Tuesday as gains from the oil companies were capped by mixed performances from the financials and properties.
For the day, the index collected 12.67 points or 0.05 percent to finish at 27,513.01 after trading between 27,300.37 and 27,567.88.
Among the actives, CNOOC surged 3.99 percent, while Kunlun Energy spiked 2.37 percent, Mengniu Dairy climbed 1.85 percent, Chia Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) jumped 1.72 percent, China Mobile advanced 1.01 percent, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China added 0.55 percent, New World Development shed 0.36 percent, Ping An Insurance lost 0.25 percent, Galaxy Entertainment gained 0.19 percent, BOC Hong Kong eased 0.13 percent and Sands China, Lenovo Group and China Life were unchanged.
The lead from Wall Street is inconclusive as stocks were lackluster on Tuesday, lingering near the unchanged line before closing mixed.
The Dow dipped 11.77 points or 0.05 percent to 22,284.32, while the NASDAQ rose 9.57 points or 0.15 percent to 6,380.16 and the S&P added 0.18 points or 0.01 percent to 2,496.84.
Markets were skittish after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen hinted at imminent rate hikes. "We should be wary of moving too gradually," Yellen said in a speech to the National Association for Business Economics meeting in Cleveland.
In economic news, the Commerce Department noted an unexpected drop in new home sales, while the Conference Board saw deterioration in consumer confidence in September.
Crude oil prices were down on Tuesday, as WTI crude futures for November fell 34 cents or 0.65 percent to 51.88 per barrel.
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Market Analysis
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.