Asian markets mostly fall following mixed comments from Fed members

Asia-Pacific markets largely declined as investors assessed comments from Federal Reserve board members and digested Australia's October inflation figures.

On Tuesday, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said his confidence is growing that policy is now well-positioned to bring inflation back under control. However, he argued that inflation remains too high.

Waller also noted that if inflation continues to fall over the next three to five months, the Fed could begin to lower interest rates.

In contrast, Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said that more interest rate hikes would likely be needed as evolving dynamics keep inflation high.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 extended its gains from Tuesday, rising 0.45 percent, while the country's overall inflation rate for October fell to 4.8 percent, the lowest rate since January 2022.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.18 percent, while the Topix lost 0.28 percent.

South Korea's Kospi index lost 0.2 percent after reaching a two-month high on Tuesday, but the small-cap Kosdaq was just above the flat line.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 0.47 percent at the opening, while China's CSI 300 index was slightly above the flat line.

News Source: 12punto