Hong Kong Plunges 3% as Bond Yields Spike Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data
Asian stock markets ended mixed on Friday, October 1, 2026, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index falling 3% to an 11-week low near 23,900 points. The decline was driven by rising global bond yields and elevated oil prices, which weighed on risk appetite ahead of key U.S. employment data. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 0.9%, while South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.5% and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.8%. Mainland China and India remained closed for holidays. Investors focused on U.S. nonfarm payrolls, expected to show 89,000 jobs added, and the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield, which hit 5.34% before easing slightly.
