Asia-Pacific equities were mixed on Sept. 9, 2026, as a rally in semiconductor shares offset concerns that rising oil prices could add to inflation pressures. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 1.3%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.2% and S&P 500 futures traded largely flat. The broader market snapshot also referenced the FTSE 100, DAX, Euro Stoxx 50, S&P 500 and Dow Jones.
In regional markets, South Korea's KOSPI rose 1.5%, Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.14%, and China's CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite rose 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.2%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.2%, Singapore's Straits Times index lost 0.6%, and India's Nifty 50 fell 0.5%.
Chipmakers and memory suppliers led the advance. South Korea's SK Hynix rose 3.6%, Samsung Electronics gained 0.8%, and Kioxia added 0.6%. In Japan, TDK rose 1.86% while Sony fell 0.74%, and Foxconn was little changed. Chinese internet and technology stocks were mixed, with Baidu up 3.3% and Alibaba up 0.6%, while Meituan fell 2.5%, Xiaomi dropped 2.1%, and JD.com declined 1.84%.
The semiconductor strength reflected continued optimism about artificial-intelligence infrastructure spending, including an agreement among Intel, Qualcomm and Amazon to develop custom AI chips. By contrast, U.S. software shares were weaker after OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra renewed concerns that AI could disrupt traditional software businesses. Oracle and Adobe were among the software names cited.
Oil remained a key macro risk. Brent crude approached $100 a barrel after rising more than 60% this year, with futures listed at $101.43, up 3.58%, while WTI crude was listed at $96.59, up 3.83%. Gold futures were at $4,441.26, up 0.05%; silver was at $67.998, up 1.49%; and copper was at $6.8513, up 0.41%.
The pressure came as geopolitical tensions in the Gulf intensified. Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi cities, U.S. forces struck Iranian tankers, and Tehran warned tanker crews near Kuwaiti and Bahraini piers to abandon vessels, threatening further attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure.
Rates markets were also watching the U.S. Federal Reserve, with traders pricing about a 60% probability of a 25-basis-point rate increase. The Fed is scheduled to meet on Sept. 15-16, and a U.S. CPI report is due Friday.
Regional data added context. South Korea's economy grew 0.6% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, above a 0.2% forecast. Japan's GDP expanded at an annualized 1.4%, and real wages rose 2.4% in July. In China, August CPI rose 0.8% year-on-year and 0.4% month-on-month, core CPI increased 1%, and PPI climbed 3.8%. August exports surged 25% and imports rose 28.2%, while high-tech exports were up 42.9% in the first eight months.
