America News Agency

The Bank of Korea kept its benchmark interest rate at 2.50% as the won’s recent decline narrowed the room for policy easing. The country’s benchmark Kospi rose 0.57%, while the small-cap Kosdaq was flat. The South Korean won weakened about 0.2% against the dollar to 1,466.6.

The Nikkei 225 fell 1.05%, while the Topix gained 0.15%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.46%. Shares of Toyota Motor jumped 5.8%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.66% and the CSI 300 fell 0.42%.

After China’s market regulator said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into an online travel platform over suspected monopolistic practices, Trip.com shares plunged by as much as 21%, making them the worst performers in the Hong Kong index. In the latest session, the stock fell 17.2%.

The Japanese yen strengthened against the dollar to 158.34. Markets are watching for possible intervention by Japanese authorities after the currency earlier this week slid to an 18-month low.

In the U.S., stocks fell for a second consecutive session, pulling further back from record highs. The S&P 500 closed down 0.53% at 6,926.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 42.36 points, or 0.09%, to 49,149.63. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1% to 23,471.75. All three indices posted losses for a second straight day.

Technology weighed on the broader market. Chip stocks were hit in particular; Broadcom fell 4%, while Nvidia and Micron Technology lost more than 1%. On Wednesday, Chinese customs authorities informed officers that Nvidia’s H200 chips are not permitted to enter the country.