Closing Bell 2nd April: ASX bounces lifted by property. Kelsian sells tourism division

Asia-Pacific Markets Mixed as Tariff Concerns Weigh; Wall Street Futures Edge Higher

Asia-Pacific equities traded mostly lower on Wednesday as investors awaited the anticipated rollout of fresh U.S. tariffs by President Donald Trump. Japan’s Nikkei 225 hovered near the flatline, while the broader Topix index declined 0.56%. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.42%, with the tech-heavy Kosdaq down 0.77%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 0.41%, while China’s CSI 300 was little changed.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 outperformed the region, rising 0.24%.

In the U.S., stock futures advanced ahead of the tariff announcement. Overnight, Wall Street closed mixed. The S&P 500 rose 0.38% to 5,633.07, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.87% to finish at 17,449.89. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 11.80 points to 41,989.96.

UBS remains cautiously optimistic, suggesting near-term volatility presents opportunities for long-term investors. “We expect sentiment to improve in the second half of the year. Investors should consider using market dips to build exposure to broad U.S. equities and AI-linked companies,” UBS analysts wrote in a client note.