Why it matters
- Mainland China reopened after the Golden Week holiday with the Shanghai Composite down 0.79% to 3,811.90 and the Shenzhen Component down 2.07%.
- South Korea's Kospi fell 2.62% to 6,625.93, a third straight loss, while Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 1.42% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.43%.
- Treasury yields near their highest since 2002, Fed minutes pointing to another rate hike and Brent crude above $104 drove the selling.
Session recap: what happened in this region's trading day, with sources.
Asian stocks fell across the board on Thursday, Oct. 8, as mainland China reopened from its weeklong holiday. The Shanghai Composite dropped 0.79% to 3,811.90, its first session since Sept. 30, and South Korea's Kospi slid 2.62% to 6,625.93, according to Yahoo Finance data. Japan's Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng each lost about 1.4%.
| Market | Thursday close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Composite (China) | 3,811.90 | −0.79% |
| Shenzhen Component (China) | 12,620.90 | −2.07% |
| Nikkei 225 (Japan) | 69,042.11 | −1.42% |
| Hang Seng (Hong Kong) | 23,785.79 | −1.43% |
| Kospi (South Korea) | 6,625.93 | −2.62% |
| S&P/ASX 200 (Australia) | 8,660.90 | −0.77% |
| Taiex (Taiwan) | 49,313.44 | −0.99% |
| Straits Times Index (Singapore) | 5,412.96 | −3.49% |
| Sensex (India) | 71,593.24 | −1.44% |
Source: Yahoo Finance chart data. Mainland China changes are from the Sept. 30 close; others are from Wednesday's close.
Why did Asian stocks fall on Thursday?
Rates and oil. Wall Street slipped on Wednesday as long-term Treasury yields hit their highest since 2002; see our Americas Wednesday recap. Minutes of the Federal Reserve's September meeting said "most participants" saw another rate increase as likely appropriate by year end. Brent crude then jumped above $105 a barrel on reports that the White House asked the Pentagon for strike options against Iran, Trading Economics said.
How did China's markets do after Golden Week?
Lower. The Shanghai Composite closed at a more than two-month low and the Shenzhen Component at an over 10-month low, Trading Economics said. The CSI 300 of big mainland stocks ended at 4,310.28, Yahoo Finance data showed. Oil producers rose with crude: Sinopec gained 3.8% and PetroChina 3.4%. Carmaker Guangzhou Automobile fell 8.2%, Yahoo Finance data showed.
Japan and Korea: chip and defense stocks drop
The Nikkei fell for a second day, and the broader Topix lost 1.51% to about 4,091, Trading Economics said. SoftBank Group fell 4.3% and Mitsubishi UFJ lost 3.3%, Yahoo Finance data showed. Trading Economics also cited a Bank of Japan official's support for gradual rate hikes.
In Seoul, Hanwha Aerospace sank 8.3%, Samsung Electronics lost 2.4% and SK hynix fell 2.4%, Yahoo Finance data showed. Samsung's shares fell even though its preliminary third-quarter operating profit, put at a record 107.4 trillion won by Trading Economics, beat forecasts.
Hong Kong: tech leads the decline
The Hang Seng lost 344.71 points, and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 0.89%. Lenovo dropped 8.1%, chipmaker SMIC fell 6.7% and Tencent lost 2.2%, Yahoo Finance data showed. Trading Economics also pointed to Hong Kong's September purchasing managers' index, which fell to 49.2 from 49.5.
Elsewhere in the region
Australia's ASX 200 fell to near a one-week low, with the four big banks each down about 1.5%, BHP down 2% and Rio Tinto down 2.9%, Trading Economics said. Singapore's Straits Times Index had the region's steepest drop, and India's Sensex fell 1.44%.
What comes next?
Europe is lower too; see our Europe Thursday recap. The U.S. calendar is in our day-ahead guide, and live levels are on the markets page. Wednesday's session is in our Asia Wednesday recap.
Follow the rest of the trading day on our global market today page, with the latest Asia, Europe and Americas session recaps.
Sources
- Trading Economics, China stock market (Shanghai Composite)
- Trading Economics, Japan stock market (Nikkei 225)
- Trading Economics, Hong Kong stock market (Hang Seng)
- Trading Economics, South Korea stock market (Kospi)
- Trading Economics, Australia stock market (ASX 200)
- Trading Economics, Brent crude oil
- Federal Reserve, FOMC minutes, Sept. 15–16, 2026
- Yahoo Finance, chart data for the Shanghai Composite, Shenzhen Component, CSI 300, Nikkei 225, Hang Seng, Hang Seng China Enterprises, Kospi, S&P/ASX 200, Taiex, Straits Times Index and Sensex
- Yahoo Finance, stock chart data for Sinopec, PetroChina, Guangzhou Automobile, SoftBank Group, Mitsubishi UFJ, Hanwha Aerospace, Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Lenovo, SMIC and Tencent