Asian stock markets are lower on Wednesday despite the modest gains overnight on Wall Street. Worries about trade tensions and slowing global economic growth weighed on investor sentiment. Bucking the trend, the Australian market is higher.
South Korea has slashed its economic growth forecast for this year due to weak exports and sluggish investments. In addition, the Japanese government's decision to restrict export of tech materials that are used to produce semiconductors and display panel materials to South Korea weighed on tech stocks.
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Business News
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.