Asia-Pacific markets mixed as US shutdown risk eases

Asia-Pacific Markets Mixed as Shutdown Risk Eases

Markets in the Asia-Pacific region opened mostly higher after U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed a deal to avoid a government shutdown. The agreement between Trump and Senate Democrats eased near-term political uncertainty, allowing five key bills to pass without funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which will be addressed separately.

South Korea's KOSPI advanced 0.34%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 remained flat. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.44%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures fell short of their benchmark closes, while U.S. stock futures dropped due to Microsoft's earnings and the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision.

Cryptocurrencies saw notable declines, with Bitcoin dropping more than 5% and reaching its lowest level in nearly two months.