Asian indices are trading mixed. Some indices are down, including China's Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Composite, by 0.57% and 0.61% respectively. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined by 0.84%. Australian S&P/ASX 200 added 0.7%, Korean KOSPI gained 0.94%, and Japanese Nikkei 225 jumped by 1.22%.
Investors' pessimistic sentiments were mostly caused by the speech of US Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. He said that the regulator intends to continue taking all necessary measures to curb inflation until it falls to 2%.
At the same time, there are more positive factors, including a 0.3-04% increase in the value of futures on US exchanges.
Another positive development was the release of statistical data from Japan regarding employment. Last month, the unemployment rate remained at the same level as in June - 2.6%. It coincided with the experts' forecasts, so the markets were ready for it. Notably, this indicator has remained at this level for three months already.
The number of unemployed in the country decreased by 2.2% compared to the same period in 2021, to 1.76 million people. The number of employed remained unchanged at 67.34 million.
Among the components of Japan's Nikkei 225, NEC, Corp. added 6.4%, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. increased by 5.2%, and Sumitomo Osaka Cement, Co., Ltd. gained 5%, heading the list of top gainers.
Among the components of the Hong Kong Hang Seng index, the biggest losers were Alibaba Health Information Technology, Ltd. which dropped by 4.4%, Wuxi Biologics (Cayman), Inc. which declined by 2.9%, Lenovo Group, Ltd. which lost 2.6%, and Meituan which decreased by 2.1%.
Country Garden Holdings, Co.'s net profit declined by 96% for the first six months of this year (down by 68% on an adjusted basis) due to the real estate crisis in China, its stocks declined by 3.5%.
At the same time, CITIC, Ltd. quotations increased by 1.5% thanks to the company's net profit growth of 13% in the first six months of 2022.
Among the components of the Korean KOSPI, the most significant change in share price was observed in Hyundai Motor, Co. whose securities rose in price by 3.7%. Quotes of Samsung Electronics, Co. showed more modest growth of 0.3%.
Among Australian companies, Healius, Ltd. soared by 4% due to a seven-fold increase in its net profit for the previous fiscal year.
