Asian markets start mostly in red on Monday

The Asian markets have mostly made a soft start, though China reported better-than-expected export data and the slowest inflation rate in two years, signaling that the economy may be stabilizing after a slowdown that began in the first quarter of 2011. The customs administration of the country reported that overseas shipments increased 9.9 percent from a year earlier. China's Consumer Price Index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, grew 1.9 percent year on year in September, easing from 2 percent registered in August. China's producer price index (PPI), which measures inflation at wholesale level, dropped 3.6 percent year-on-year in September. Japanese market was marginally in green, though it too had made a soft start led by the decline in electronics exporters on concern about slowing world growth.

Shanghai Composite was down by 11.26 points or 0.54% to 2,093.67, Hang Seng declined by 44.98 points or 0.21% to 21,091.44, Jakarta Composite was marginally down by 3.00 points or 0.08% to 4,307.96, KLSE Composite declined by 2.66 points or 0.16% to 1,650.90, Straits Times lost 1.08 points or 0.04% to 3,040.76, Kospi Composite was lower by 6.23 points or 0.32% to 1,927.28 and Taiwan Weighted declined by 35.59 points or 0.47% to 7,402.36.

On the other hand, Nikkei 225 was the lone gainer, marginally up by 1.56 points or 0.02% to 8,535.68.