Asian markets opened lower on Thursday as China’s unraveling stock market raises deeper worries about the reach of its economic troubles.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 2.1%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 1.3%.
Markets overseas fell sharply Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting a five-month low on Wednesday, and a number of commodities tumbling to multiyear lows. China is one of the world’s largest consumers of oil, metals and food. Investors worry that a shock to the world’s second-largest economy could have broad repercussions, weighing on demand for goods and services broadly, and pinching global companies that are closely tied to Chinese growth.
Copper, often seen as a barometer for the global economy, fell this week to a six-year low. Crude-oil prices, which had recovered earlier this year after a crash in the second half of 2014, have resumed their slide. Brent crude futures were flat at $57.08 and gold prices fell 0.5% to $1,157.00 per troy ounce.
The worries come as China adds to a growing list of measures to get the stock market back in gear. On Wednesday, the government rolled out a new set of emergency tactics to encourage loans for buying stocks and prevent some selling among big shareholders. Still, a stock-market selloff Wednesday bled into commodities markets and dented offshore trading in the Chinese yuan.
“Nothing they’ve done so far has worked. At this point we think a bazooka is needed,” analysts from ING wrote in a research note, estimating that a rescue package of some 4 trillion yuan may be needed.
Major currencies remained broadly stable after the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s June meeting, which supported market expectations that the U.S. central bank will lift interest rates in September.
“The FOMC minutes showed a split of opinions on the economy but not enough evidence to suggest against a September liftoff,” analysts from Socié té Gé né rale wrote in a research report.
Elsewhere, South Korea’s Kospi was down 1.2% after an interest rate decision by the Bank of Korea, which kept rates on hold. Malaysia’s central bank meets later today, also expected to remain on hold.