From NASDAQ Stock Market:

Asian equities slumped on Wednesday, led by Chinese stocks after data showed China’s economy grew 5.2% in the fourth quarter. While the broader MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares was down 1.34%, Japan’s Nikkei rose to a new 34-year peak. Geopolitical worries and mixed U.S. earnings also weighed on markets.

The dollar was near a one-month high while investors marked down chances of early rate cuts. Overnight, U.S. stocks ended lower after mixed earnings from Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs pressured banks, while sell-offs in Boeing and Apple also weighed on the S&P 500.

In currency markets, the dollar index rose 0.029% and was near a one-month high. The Japanese yen weakened to 147.34 per dollar, while Sterling was last at $1.2634. In commodities, U.S. crude fell to $71.91 per barrel and Brent was at $77.84. Gold prices were little changed at $2,028 in Asian hours after dropping 1% in the previous session on the stronger dollar.



Read more: GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stocks slide as China weakness, rate cut jitters weigh