Central Bank, Geopolitical Outlooks Blunt Asian Stock Marlets

05:52 AM EST, 11/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets closed unevenly lower Monday, as traders looked for clues to US central bank directions, and weighed rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.

Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the red, while other regional exchanges were mixed.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower on geopolitical pressures, gained in the afternoon as a soft yen aided export issues, but still finished off 0.1%.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 52.62 to 50,323.91, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 142 to 82.

Leading the upside was materials-and-mining house Mitsui Kinzoku, up 8.9%, while tourism-reliant upscale department-store chain Isetan Mitsukoshi declined 11.3%.

Retail issues fell back after Beijing urged its citizens to avoid visiting Japan, following Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks that Tokyo might have to take military action if China attacked Taiwan.

In economic news, Japan's Q3 gross domestic product (GDP) fell by a real 0.4% from the April-June period, or at a 1.8% annualized rate. However, on year, the nation's Q3 GDP was still up 1.1% from a year earlier, reported the Cabinet Office.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and declined thereafter, closing down 0.7% as traders mulled the muddied outlook for US Federal Reserve cuts, and cautiously weighed tech-sector valuations.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 188.18 to 26,384.28, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 62 to 20. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 1% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 0.6%.

Leading the upside was noodle-maker Tingyi, gaining 2.1%, while computer-maker Lenovo declined 3.9%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.5% to 3,972.03.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 1.9%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.2%; the Australian ASX 200 was steady; the Singapore Straits Times Index was flat, and the Thai Set inclined 0.9%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.5%.

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