Asian markets are exhibiting mixed trend in the early deals on Monday, following the widely-expected results of the first round of presidential elections in France, with Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen headed for a run-off on May 7. The Japanese market is advancing as the result of the first round of the French presidential elections along expected lines eased fears that the country may leave the European Union. In addition, the yen retreated, boosting exporters' shares. Among the other Asian markets, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan are lower. Bucking the trend, South Korea is higher. The Indonesia market is closed in observance of Isra Mikraj and the Malaysian market is closed for a holiday.
Shanghai Composite decreased 49.35 points or 1.56% to 3,123.80, Hang Seng declined 25.79 points or 0.11% to 24,016.23, Straits Times dropped 7.81 points or 0.25% to 3,132.02, and Taiwan Weighted was down by 12.66 points or 0.13% to 9,704.75.
On the flip side, Nikkei 225 gained 233.72 points or 1.26% to 18,854.47, and KOSPI Index was up by 3.72 points or 0.17% to 2,168.76.