$5 Trillion Got Wiped From Asia Stocks This Year. Here’s How
- MSCI Asia Pacific Index set for worst year since 2011
- Technology stocks were among the biggest losers with 21% slump
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For Asian equities, 2018 was a tale of two halves, with record rallies and volume surges giving way to turbulence that’s wiped out $5.2 trillion in market value.
There’s no question about it. Investors in the region have had plenty to fret about -- swings across assets, concerns over growth, escalating frictions between the two of the world’s superpowers and turmoil in Washington. As the final hours of 2018 tick off the clock, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index is down 22 percent from a January peak, with the recent rally doing little to ease the pain of what’s been the gauge’s worst year since 2011.