Asian equity markets ended mostly higher on Monday as gains in oil prices and hopes for economic stimulus in Japan helped investors shrug off weak cues from Wall Street and disappointing Chinese data. Japanese shares rallied earlier in the day after reports suggested that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will postpone a planned sales tax increase scheduled for next year. The early rally faded soon after a top government spokesman denied the report. Chinese shares closed notably higher despite a raft of disappointing data pointing to continued weakness in the world's second largest economy. China's investment, factory output and retail sales all grew more slowly than expected in April, raising fears that a bounce seen in March is fizzling. Sentiment was bolstered somewhat after the China Securities Regulatory Commission denied the media reports about an adjustment to the policies on refinancing and mergers and acquisitions by listed companies.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 2,850.86 | 23.75 | 0.84 |
| Hang Seng | 19,883.95 | 164.66 | 0.84 |
| Jakarta Composite | 4,731.56 | -30.15 | -0.63 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,621.21 | -7.05 | -0.43 |
| Nikkei 225 | 16,466.40 | 54.19 | 0.33 |
| Straits Times | 2,736.06 | 1.15 | 0.04 |
| KOSPI Composite | 1,967.91 | 0.92 | 0.05 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 8,067.60 | 13.91 | 0.17 |