Asia-Pacific stock markets update

The MLB store in the Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, opened on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Asia-Pacific markets opened lower on Wednesday morning following a poor start on Wall Street due to rising tensions in the Middle East. Australian and Japanese markets were down, as well as South Korea’s Kospi and the small-cap Kosdaq. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were lower, and markets in Mainland China were closed for the Golden Week holiday. Traders were assessing data on consumer inflation in South Korea, which came in lower than expected. The U.S. markets fell overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all dropping. Oil prices and the CBOE Volatility Index jumped due to Iran firing ballistic missiles at Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation, stating that Iran would pay for its actions.