Asian Pacific Stocks Mixed, Shares of Kakao Pay surge in South Korea debut

Shares in Asia-Pacific were mixed on Wednesday as investors looked ahead to the end of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting for clues on tapering.

In South Korea, the Kospi declined 1.25% to finish the trading day at 2,975.71. Shares of Kakao Pay surged in their Wednesday debut as they more than doubled from their issue price of 90,000 Korean won. By the Wednesday market close in South Korea, the stock had soared about 114% from its issue price.

Kakao Games also surged 3.01%, while Kakao Corp shares dipped 2.73% and Kakao Bank dropped 7.33%.

Elsewhere, mainland Chinese stocks closed lower, with the Shanghai Composite falling 0.2% to 3,498.54 while the Shenzhen component declined fractionally to 14,367.78. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dipped about 0.5%, as of its final hour of trading.

The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia climbed 0.93% to close at 7,392.70, while Taiwan’s Taiex advanced 0.33% on the day to 17,122.16.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan declined 0.12%.

Markets in Japan were closed on Wednesday for a holiday.

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A private survey released Wednesday showed growing Chinese services activity in October, with the Caixin/Markit services Purchasing Managers’ Index coming in at 53.8, rising from September’s reading of 53.4.

China’s official non-manufacturing PMI for October came in at 52.4 over the weekend, a decline from the September reading of 53.2.

PMI readings below 50 represent contraction while those above that level signify expansion. PMI readings are sequential and represent month-on-month expansion or contraction.

Asian Markets oil and Currencies

Oil prices were lower in the afternoon of Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 1.18% to $83.72 per barrel. U.S. crude futures dropped 1.55% to $82.61 per barrel.

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 94.058 after a recent climb from levels below 93.9.

The Japanese yen traded at 113.87 per dollar, weaker than levels below 113.6 seen against the greenback yesterday. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7447 after yesterday’s drop from above $0.752.