FX.co ★ Hong Kong Stocks Edge Lower

The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.2%, or 68 points, to around 24,280 on Wednesday, as declines in financial and technology services stocks outweighed gains in energy, electronic technology, and retail names. Asian chipmakers staged a rebound after sharp recent losses, though concerns lingered over elevated AI valuations, intensifying competition from Chinese semiconductor firms, and the profitability of large-scale AI infrastructure investment. Brent crude climbed to about US$106.60 a barrel amid escalating attacks on Saudi energy facilities, stoking fears of potential supply disruptions from the Persian Gulf and renewed inflationary pressures. In China, producer price inflation quickened to 5.0% year-on-year in September, the fastest pace since June 2022, while consumer inflation rose to 0.9%, slightly below the 1.0% market forecast. Among notable decliners were Akeso (-10.1%), Z.AI Co. (-1.8%), and AIA (-1.0%). Investors also looked ahead to the release of US September CPI data for further signals on the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path.