The China stock market turned lower again on Wednesday, one session after it had ended the five-day slide in which it had surrendered almost 80 points or 2.6 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index now rests just above the 3,050-point plateau although it may find traction on Thursday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets is cautiously optimistic, thanks mainly to a bump in crude oil prices. The European markets were up and the U.S. bourses were mixed and flat and the Asian markets figure to split the difference.
The SCI finished modestly lower on Wednesday as losses from the resource stocks were tempered by support from the financials and a mixed picture from the properties.
For the day, the index sank 27.74 points or 0.90 percent to finish at 3,052.78 after trading between 3,051.59 and 3,090.82. The Shenzhen Composite Index skidded 25.08 points or 1.36 percent to end at 1,822.56.
Among the actives, Agricultural Bank of China added 0.60 percent, while Industrial and Commercial Bank of China collected 0.62 percent, Bank of China gained 0.28 percent, Vanke picked up 0.27 percent, Gemdale eased 0.18 percent, PetroChina shed 0.67 percent and Zijin Mining tumbled 1.22 percent.
The lead from Wall Street is murky as stocks showed a lack of direction on Wednesday before finishing mixed.
The Dow shed 32.67 points or 0.2 percent to 20,943.11, while the NASDAQ added 8.56 points or 0.1 percent to 6,129.14 and the S&P gained 2.71 points or 0.1 percent to 2,399.63.
The choppy trading followed uncertainty after President Donald Trump's abrupt dismissal of FBI Director James Comey. The move has generated criticism as Comey was leading an investigation of potential ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign.
In economic news, the Labor Department said that import prices rose by more than expected in April, reflecting a rebound in prices for fuel imports. The report also said export prices gained more than expected.
The strength in the energy sector came as the price of crude oil for June delivery jumped $1.45 to $47.33 a barrel after a report showed a steep weekly decline in crude oil inventories.
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August 21, 2026 14:42 ET The minutes of the latest policy meeting of the Federal Reserve, housing market data and manufacturing sector survey results were the main news for the U.S. economy this week. In Europe, inflation data from the U.K. was the highlight, while consumer price data from Japan drew attention in Asia.