Shares in Hong Kong and on the mainland opened lower on Wednesday as investors awaited a crucial inflation report expected to influence upcoming monetary policy decisions.

The city's benchmark index, the Hang Seng Index, declined by 0.6 percent to open at 25,498 points.

The key tech gauge dropped by 38 points, or 0.8 percent, at the open, with shares of tech giants broadly decreasing.

On the mainland, shares also opened in the red, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down by 0.01 percent to 3,933 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.04 percent lower at 14,253 points.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, was down 0.2 percent to open at 3,542 points.

The ChiNext Index, together with the Shenzhen Component Index and other indices, reflects the performance of stocks listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

However, the STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, opened 0.3 percent higher at 1,995 points.

The broad declines came as shares in the US also finished lower a day earlier as investors weighed on the global inflation outlook.

All eyes will be on a US consumer price index report for July — scheduled to be released on Wednesday — that could set expectations for the US Federal Reserve meeting in September.

Earlier, the central bank's July meeting saw three board members call for an increase, dissenting from the final decision to hold rates, and investors are betting they will announce one before the end of the year, with some eyeing at least two.

The money markets have priced in a 50-50 chance of an interest rate hike from the Fed meeting next month.

Meanwhile, a back-and-forth between the US and Iran continued to be in focus amid escalating tensions that sent oil prices surging to a one-week high and Wall Street finishing lower on Tuesday. (Agencies)




Edited by Tony Sabine