Nikkei, Yen, Hang Seng: Interest rate concerns are not weighing on markets in Asia - indices in Japan are rising

Tokyo, Sydney. The prospect of continued strong demand for semiconductors drove the Japanese stock market on Wednesday. In China, however, possible interest rate increases in the USA and an increase in oil prices dampened buying sentiment somewhat.

Wall Street's moderate guidelines therefore had no consequences. The latest US inflation data had a negative impact here. “There is now speculation on the financial markets as to whether the Fed will raise the key interest rate by 50 basis points in December,” said economist Thomas Gitzel from VP Bank. The future prospects have also clouded over. “It is becoming increasingly unlikely that the Fed will be able to refrain from further interest rate hikes next year,” Gitzel added. “The Fed will therefore probably not be able to avoid raising interest rates one or two times in the coming year.”

The stock markets were boosted by an improvement in sentiment in Japanese industry. According to the latest Tankan survey, manufacturers are more optimistic about the future than they have been in more than five years, largely thanks to the booming chip business.