Asian markets end mostly lower on Wednesday

Asian equity markets ended mostly lower on Wednesday as hawkish comments from Fed officials and upbeat data pointing to a US rate hike this year dampened investor sentiment. Chinese shares ended lower as positive home price data dashed hopes for more fiscal and monetary stimulus. Japanese stocks ended the day almost flat after the yen see-sawed against the US dollar, rising and falling in strength as investors digested Japan's stronger than expected GDP data and US inflation. Reports showed that the world's third-largest economy grew 0.4 percent sequentially in the first quarter of 2016. That topped forecasts for an increase of 0.1 percent, following the downwardly revised 0.4 percent contraction in the previous three months. On a yearly basis, GDP surged 1.7 percent.