All the Asian equity indices barring Jakarta Composite are trading lower in the early deals on Monday with the investors pressing sales due to mounting concerns about the conflict in Ukraine and on some weak economic data from China as well as Japan. The weaker-than-estimated Chinese trade and inflation data stoked concern over the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy. The Japanese stock market declined as data showed the economy expanded less than initially estimated and oil producers declined. Japan's gross domestic product was up 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2013, which was in line with forecasts, although it was down from last month's preliminary reading for 0.3%. Among other markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong, Shanghai, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia are trading notably lower, while Indonesia is trading marginally higher.
Shanghai Composite declined 34.69 points or 1.69% to 2,023.22, Hang Seng decreased by 365.62 points or 1.61% to 22,294.87, KLSE Composite contracted 8.97 points or 0.49% to 1,823.29, Nikkei 225 crumbled by 118.88 points or 0.78% to 15,155.19, Straits Times dropped 14.10 points or 0.45% to 3,122.16, KOSPI Composite slipped by 19.56 points or 0.99% to 1,955.12 and Taiwan Weighted was down by 48.27 points or 0.55% to 8,665.69.
On the flip side, Jakarta Composite was up by 0.41 points or 0.01% to 4,686.30.