US stocks continued their downward trend on Tuesday as renewed tensions in the Middle East drove oil prices sharply higher, dampening overall market sentiment. All three major indices closed in negative territory. The US dollar strengthened, while the yield on 10-year Treasuries climbed to the 4.8% level. Gold prices came under notable pressure, whereas oil prices surged significantly.
Hong Kong's three major stock indexes opened lower on Wednesday. The Hang Seng Index dropped 0.19% at the open, reaching 25,280.82 points. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.41%, and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index declined 0.18%.
On the trading board, technology stocks were mostly in the red, with Baidu dropping over 1% and Meituan falling nearly 1%, while Lenovo gained more than 2%. Oil-related shares were active, with CNOOC rising 2%. Gold stocks saw broad declines, led by Zijin Gold International which fell more than 4%. Storage concept shares also opened lower, with the Southern 2x Long Samsung Electronics product dropping over 3%.