06:37 AM EDT, 10/29/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets churned on Thursday after South Korean semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics reported record Q3 earnings, but delayed shareholder-return plans, and issued softer guidance than rival SK Hynix.

Tokyo finished in the green, while Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul closed lower. Other regional exchanges were also mixed.

Brent crude futures traded down 1.2% to $110.25 a barrel during Asian market hours.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher and held ground, finishing up 1% as traders again gravitated towards AI- and semiconductor-related shares.

Semiconductor test equipment maker Advantest overnight boosted guidance and rose 6% in trading.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 705.28 to 64,659.47, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 131 to 92.

Leading the upside was food company Nisshin Seifun, up 7%, while conglomerate Hitachi declined 9.8%, with both moves following earnings reports.

In economic news, Japan's consumer confidence index in October declined to 35.0 from 35.4 in September, reported the Cabinet Office.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and drifted, closing down 0.6% as tech and property issues weakened.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 136.18 to 22,958.65, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 70 to 25. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 2.8% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 1.3%.

Leading the upside was Hansoh Pharmaceutical, gaining 2.9%, while New Oriental Education & Technology declined 14%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.8% to 3,651.43.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 1.2%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 1.4%; the Australian ASX 200 rose 0.5%; the Singapore Straits Times Index was steady, and the Thai Set declined 1.4%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 1.2%.

The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index fell 0.4% on the day.

http://www.mtnewswires.com
Copyright © 2026 MT Newswires. All rights reserved. MT Newswires does not provide investment advice. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.