Asian equity markets ended mixed on Tuesday as investors digested earnings guidance from tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics and kept an eye on ongoing talks between South Korea and North Korea, the first formal talk between the two Koreas in more than two years. Chinese shares extended gains after central bank data showed China's foreign exchange reserves increased for the eleventh straight month in December. Further, Japanese shares ended higher, with sentiments lifted by record highs on Wall Street overnight and strong December sales reported by clothing company Fast Retailing at its Uniqlo clothing outlets in Japan. Investors shrugged off the yen's strength against the dollar after the Bank of Japan trimmed the size of its bond-repurchase offer in its latest market operation.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,413.90 | 4.42 | 0.13 |
Hang Seng | 31,011.41 | 111.88 | 0.36 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,373.15 | -12.26 | -0.19 |
KLSE Composite | 1,826.95 | -5.20 | -0.28 |
Nikkei 225 | 23,849.99 | 135.46 | 0.57 |
Straits Times | 3,524.65 | 12.47 | 0.36 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,510.23 | -3.05 | -0.12 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,914.89 | -0.86 | -0.01 |