Asian markets closed mixed on Monday, 28 September. Semiconductor stocks pulled South Korea and Japan lower, while Hong Kong and Australia edged up. Oil prices climbed again on Middle East tensions, most Asian currencies weakened against the US dollar, and Jakarta's IHSG fell 1.51% for a third straight loss.

Key numbers at the close

Market Close Change
Nikkei 225 65,877.62 −0.7%
Hang Seng 24,654.86 +0.6%
Shanghai Composite 3,823.62 −1.7%
KOSPI 6,889.74 −2.7%
S&P/ASX 200 8,679.70 +0.2%
Jakarta Composite (IHSG) 6,147.86 −1.51%
USD/IDR 17,978 rupiah −0.42%
Brent crude (intraday) $106.93 +2.5%

Sources: AP via KSAT, Seoul Economic Daily, News On Japan, Bloomberg data via Suara.

What moved markets

Chipmakers reversed. The KOSPI dropped 191.18 points to 6,889.74, falling below 7,000 during the session. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each fell about 4%, Seoul Economic Daily reported.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei briefly rose above 67,000 before profit-taking in semiconductor and AI-related shares pulled it down 486.58 points. That ended a five-session winning streak, according to News On Japan. Dividend-related buying ahead of Wednesday's record date supported banks and insurers.

Oil climbed again. Brent rose about 2.5% to near $107 a barrel in Asian trading, AP reported. Uncertainty over the conflict involving Iran and access to the Strait of Hormuz continues to drive prices. Higher oil adds to inflation worries and keeps pressure on bond yields. AP noted that the US 10-year Treasury yield recently touched 5.22%, its highest since 2007.

Indonesia

The rupiah closed at Rp17,978 per dollar, down 75 points or 0.42%, according to Bloomberg data cited by Suara. Lukman, an analyst at Doo Financial Futures, told the outlet that the weakness reflected higher dollar demand from importers, foreign outflows and a stronger US dollar index (NDNews translation). Other regional currencies also fell: the Thai baht lost 0.57%, the Korean won 0.44% and the ringgit 0.26%.

On the stock market, the IHSG fell 1.51%, or 94.03 points, to 6,147.86, its third straight daily decline, Periskop reported. Losers dominated, with 532 stocks lower and GoTo (GOTO) down about 14%, according to StockWatch. The index has now fallen about 28.9% since the end of 2025, after a 3.09% drop last week (detikFinance).

For how the rupiah links to interest rates, see what Bank Indonesia's 2026 hikes mean for borrowers.

What to watch tomorrow

  • Reserve Bank of Australia decision, Tuesday 29 September at 2:30 pm AEST (11:30 WIB). The cash rate is currently 4.35%. Track it on our APAC central bank rates tracker.
  • Japanese stocks go ex-dividend on 29 September, which typically weighs mechanically on index levels, News On Japan noted.
  • Oil and the rupiah. Watch whether Brent holds above $100 and whether foreign outflows from Indonesian assets continue.

Compiled by the NDNews desk from the linked sources. Figures are closing levels unless marked intraday. Not investment advice.