Asian markets edged down as geopolitics weighed

Asian equity indexes moved lower on Thursday as market participants felt increasingly worried about a potential military conflict between the United States and Russia over Syria.

In the previous session, Wall Street’s top three indexes ended to the downside following a direct threat of US President Trump to Moscow regarding its relation with Syria’s authorities.

The Trump administration warned Moscow about its position in the Syria conflict, suggesting serious military actions would be taken against Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

President Donald Trump tweeted: “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”

Earlier this week, the Republican leader told a group of reporters that “[the United States] have a lot of options, militarily. And we'll be letting you know pretty soon"

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 218.55 points at 24,189.45 with Boeing falling more than 2 percent in the session to lead decliners.

The S&P 500 dropped 0.6 percent to 2,642.19, with telecommunications and financials pushing lower. The Nasdaq composite closed 0.4 percent to the downside at 7,069.03.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 closed 0.15 percent into red territory, followed by the broader Topix down 0.39 percent. Automakers and oil-related stocks edged lower in the session.

Sydney’s S&P/ASX 200 eased 0.23 percent despite gains in energy and material components. Financials stocks put the biggest pressure onto the index.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index returned gains seen earlier in the day to lose 0.55 percent by the time of this writing. Again, energy stocks moved higher while financials weighed.

In mainland China, the Shanghai composite was off by 0.87 percent and the Shenzhen composite was down 0.75 percent. The South Korean Kospi index erased 0.06 percent.

Economic calendar:

Ahead today, Eurozone’s industrial production for February will be published at 09:00 GMT. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will release its monthly report at 11:20 GMT.

Also, the US export/import price index is up at 12:30 GMT. Initial jobless claims are due at that same time. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney will speak at 19:00 GMT.

FortFS