Asian Shares Mostly Lower Ahead Of Fed Decision On Interest Rates

Asian shares mostly fell on Wednesday as investors awaited a decision by the Federal Reserve on interest rates.

Investors are anxiously awaiting the latest Fed decision on interest rates.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index declined by 0.6% to 38,899.44.

Chinese shares also experienced a downturn, with the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong dropping 1.5% to 17,913.10 and the Shanghai Composite index barely changing, down less than 1 point to 3,027.41.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.6% to 7,710.90, while Bangkok's SET edged 0.1% lower. In contrast, technology shares helped lift markets in South Korea and Taiwan.

The Kospi rose 0.5% to 2,718.86, and the Taiex jumped 1.2%.

Trading on Wall Street was subdued on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.3% to 5,375.32, largely driven by tech stocks. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.9% to 17,343.55, with both indexes setting record highs for the second consecutive day.

Apple surged 7.3% due to its advancements in artificial intelligence technology. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.3%, closing at 38,747.42.