Asian markets end mostly in red on Thursday

Asian equity indices ended mostly in red on Thursday, with the regional benchmark index heading for a three-week low, as tensions mounted over Ukraine. China’s stocks fell the most in six weeks, led by financial and energy companies, amid concern recent gains were excessive relative to growth prospects. China will release its July trade data tomorrow, with export growth forecast to have decelerated to 7% as imports expanded 2.6%, down from 5.5% in June, according to a survey. The statistics bureau will release inflation figures on August 9, followed by industrial production, fixed-asset investment and retail sales on August 13. Taiwanese Trade Balance rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.61B, from 1.89B in the preceding month.

Malaysian property companies are grappling with higher costs in an industry already reeling from central bank curbs on lending last year and the first interest-rate increase in more than three years in July. Property transactions in 2013 sank the most since the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, while home prices in the first quarter rose at the slowest pace since 2010.