Dipo Olowookere
By Investors Hub
Asian stocks ended a choppy session on a mixed note on Tuesday after U.S. shares recovered from sharp losses to close higher overnight.
A cautious undertone prevailed as U.S.-China trade tensions simmered, oil held its biggest loss in two weeks and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a Parliamentary vote on a Brexit deal.
Chinese shares closed higher ahead of industrial output and retail sales figures for November due on Friday. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 9.51 points or 0.4 percent to 2,594.09, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inched up 19.29 points or 0.1 percent to 25,771.67.
Meanwhile, Japanese shares fell modestly to close near their lowest level since March, dragged down by financials and cyclical stocks.
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 71.48 points or 0.3 percent to 21,148.02, the lowest level since late March. The broader Topix Index closed 0.9 percent lower at 1,575.31, the lowest closing level since May of 2017.
Growing uncertainty in the face of trade friction pulled down automakers, with Toyota Motor, Mazda Motor and Nissan Motor falling 1-3 percent.
Banks Mizuho Financial, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group shed 1-2 percent as the threats of a no-deal Brexit become very real. Insurer Dai-ichi Life Holdings declined 1.5 percent and T&D Holdings gave up 2.8 percent.
On the other hand, SoftBank jumped 2.5 percent after it set the final price for the 2.65 trillion yen initial public offering of its Japanese telecom business at its original target.
Australian stocks rebounded from near two-year lows to end modestly higher. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 23.40 points or 0.4 percent at 5,575.90, while the broader All Ordinaries Index climbed 23.70 points or 0.4 percent to 5,651.20.
Healthcare shares led the surge, with Cochlear jumping 2.9 percent and CSL surging up 2.1 percent. Mining heavyweights BHP and Rio Tinto rose over 1 percent, while gold miners ended on a mixed note.
Energy stocks fell after U.S. crude oil futures fell over 3 percent on Monday on concerns about a likely drop in demand. Santos, Oil Search and Beach Energy lost 1-2 percent.
QBE Insurance Group slumped 4.1 percent after it announced a three-year operational efficiency program targeting net savings of A$130 million in 2021 and restructuring costs of A$95 million over 2019-20.
On the economic front, official data showed that house prices in Australia dropped 1.5 percent sequentially in the third quarter. That exceeded expectations for a decline of 1.6 percent following the 0.7 percent drop in the three months prior.
