JAKARTA -- Indonesia's manufacturing sector has recorded a strong start to 2025 despite gloomy news from much of the rest of the economy, according to a closely watched survey of purchasing managers.

The benchmark Nikkei Stock Average at one point dropped over 1,500 points, or 4%, plummeting below the 35,000 mark for the first time since August. Nikkei futures on the Osaka exchange slid over 2,000 ...