Shares in Asia-Pacific were mixed on Tuesday, as investors continued monitoring developments surrounding the COVID situation in mainland China as well as movements in the Japanese yen.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 lost 486.54 points, or 1.8%, to 26,334.98.
Investors were watching the Japanese yen as it traded at 125.58 per U.S. dollar following yesterday’s weakening from below 125 against the greenback.
In early March, the yen traded below 115 against the greenback being weakening sharply from those levels. The Japanese currency is currently approaching a two-decade low,
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index regained 110.83 points, or 0.5%, to 21,319.13. Shares of Tencent picked up 3.6%, and NetEase rose 4.2%, after Chinese regulators approved new games for monetization following a months-long freeze.
The Australian dollar was at $0.7433, still lower than levels above $0.744 seen yesterday.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 restocked 79.9 points, or 2%, to 4,179.47.
Chinese markets recovered partially from Monday’s heavy losses, swinging between positive and negative territory in choppy trading before closing higher on Tuesday.
The major Chinese city of Shanghai has accounted for most of mainland China’s new COVID cases and was in lockdown about a week after a two-part shutdown was originally supposed to end. The U.S. State Department also ordered all non-emergency government staff and their family members in Shanghai to leave amid the COVID surge.
In other markets
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index docked 33.31 points, or 1%, to 3,330.25
In Korea, the Kospi index faded 26.34 points, or 1%, to 2,666.76.
In Taiwan, the Taiex index subtracted 57.46 points, or 0.3%, to 16,990.91.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 fell 42.86 points, or 0.4%, to 11,889.17.
In Australia, the ASX 200 slid 31.21 points, or 0.4%, to 7,453.98.
