Asian equity markets ended mixed on Tuesday as a raft of Chinese data proved to be a mixed bag and investors watched developments in Syria amid expectations that last week's US-led missile strikes on the country would not lead to a broader escalation in the conflict. Chinese shares ended lower after the release of mixed data. Official data showed that China's gross domestic product rose 6.8 percent in the first quarter on a yearly basis - in line with expectations and down from 6.9 percent in the previous quarter. China's industrial production and fixed asset investment rose in March, but missed forecasts, while retail sales growth exceeded expectations. Industrial output advanced an annual 6.0 percent in March and retail sales jumped 10.1 percent from last year, while fixed asset investment climbed an annual 7.5 percent. Meanwhile, Japanese shares ended on a flat note as the dollar softened against the yen ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,066.80 | -43.85 | -1.41 |
Hang Seng | 30,062.75 | -252.84 | -0.83 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,285.76 | -0.99 | -0.02 |
KLSE Composite | 1,880.49 | 1.73 | 0.09 |
Nikkei 225 | 21,847.59 | 12.06 | 0.06 |
Straits Times | 3,498.20 | 1.01 | 0.03 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,453.77 | -3.72 | -0.15 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,810.45 | -144.10 | -1.32 |
