Investing.com - Asian-Pacific markets opened with mixed results on Wednesday following a varied performance on Wall Street.
By 10:45 am AEST (12:45 am GMT) the S&P/ASX 200 and Nikkei 225 down by 0.4% and 0.8% respectively, while the KOSPI 200 saw a 0.2% increase.
Benchmark US indices were lifted by a strong showing from technology stocks ahead of Wednesday's key inflation data and the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision.
The S&P 500 added 0.3%, extending record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped around 121 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.9%.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was a standout performer, surging 7.3% to reach its first record high of the year after revealing its new AI system. Investors are now preparing for two events that should help clarify the outlook for short-term interest rates set by the Fed.
In commodities, Brent crude oil was up 0.6% to US$82.12 a barrel, while gold remained flat at US$2,316.90.
Chinese shares closed mixed, with gains in semiconductors and software competing with losses in banks and marine shipping. Hong Kong shares ended lower, while the Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.2% to 39134.79.
In Europe, stocks slipped on Tuesday, as the FTSE 100 Index dropped 1.0% to 8147.81. Shares closed lower in Europe, with the STOXX Europe 600 Index down 0.9% to 517.29, Germany's DAX slipping 0.6% to 18,369.94, and France's CAC 40 dropping 1.3% to 7,789.21