Asian equity markets ended mixed on Monday as geopolitical tensions escalated, US political uncertainty deepened and China's manufacturing and service sector readings fell slightly in July. Activity in China's manufacturing sector continued to expand in July, albeit at a slower pace, the National Bureau of Statistics said with a PMI score of 51.4, down from 51.7 in June. The bureau's non-manufacturing index came in at 54.5 - down from 54.9 in the previous month. Investors remained wary after North Korea conducted a missile test late on Friday that it said proved its ability to strike the US mainland. The US responded by flying two bombers over the Korean peninsula on Sunday. Japanese shares ended at 6-1/2-week lows even as the yen came off from its early highs against its major rivals. Meanwhile, Chinese shares ended higher as investors piled into resource firms which forecast jumps in first-half earnings, reinforcing a rotation into blue chips that feature solid growth and fundamentals.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,273.03 | 19.79 | 0.61 |
Hang Seng | 27,323.99 | 344.60 | 1.28 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,840.94 | 9.91 | 0.17 |
KLSE Composite | 1,760.03 | -7.05 | -0.40 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,925.18 | -34.66 | -0.17 |
Straits Times | 3,329.52 | -1.23 | -0.04 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,402.71 | 1.72 | 0.07 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,427.33 | 4.28 | 0.04 |