Investors in Asia are contending with the anticipation of increased interest rates and rising oil prices, spurred by crude oil’s recent one-year high.

On Thursday, Tokyo’s stock market opened on a lower note, with investors expressing caution about potential additional US interest rate hikes. Additionally, they are closely monitoring the possibility of Japan intervening in the market to bolster the yen’s value.

During early trading, the Nikkei 225 index, a key benchmark, experienced a 0.75 per cent decline, while the broader Topix index saw a 0.80 per cent decrease.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s KOSPI index remained relatively stable, and Australia’s S&P ASX 100 index showed a modest 0.31 per cent increase, essentially trading flat.

On the previous day, Wall Street closed with little change, unable to prevent a ninth consecutive decline for a widely-watched global equities indicator. US futures exhibited moderate gains in the early Asian trading session.

Investors are also anxious about depleting crude oil reserves and mounting consumer pressures, particularly as the 10-year Treasury yield surpassed 4.6 percent on Wednesday, reaching its highest level since 2007.