Japan's benchmark indexes extended weekly losses after the latest updates on industrial production and retail sales fell short of expectations. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average trimmed this year's gains to 8.7%.
The liquidity-driven market rally extended weekly gains in China indexes as investors awaited the release of earnings from banks. The Hang Seng Index struggled to stay above the flatline ahead of the release of key earnings reports.
Benchmark indexes in Hong Kong declined after Meituan reported sharply lower earnings because of the ongoing price war in the food delivery services. Jiaxin International Resources soared on the first day of trading in Hong Kong.
China and Hong Kong indexes fluctuated, and investors reviewed the latest earnings results. Technology and AI chipmakers soared after Cambricon swung to a profit following a multi-fold surge in revenue in the first half.
Japan's indexes extended two-day losses amid a lack of domestic news and ahead of corporate results later in the week. Market sentiment was cautious as investors worried about the erratic U.S. trade policy.
Stock market indexes in China and Hong Kong turned lower amid lingering uncertainty related to the U.S.-China trade talks. Haidilao International reported sales and earnings weakness amid a challenging market environment.
Investors in Japan took an optimistic view ahead of key economic releases this week and participated in an Asia-wide rally amid speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve is more likely to lower rates next month.
Japan's core rate of inflation stayed well above the Bank of Japan's target rate, supporting the central bank's rate hike campaign. Food price inflation accelerated, but the surge in rice prices eased a little.
Mainland China-based indexes extended their weekly gains as large and small investors increased their stock exposure amid low valuation and improving sentiment for earnings outlook.
Japan's manufacturing sector activities growth contracted in 13 of the past 14 months, as U.S. tariffs weighed on overall exports. The overall private sector activities growth eased, and the growth in the services sector softened in August.
China and Hong Kong indexes wavered as investors reviewed the latest batch of earnings. The uncertain U.S. trade policy and persistent weakness in the residential property markets are weighing on investor sentiment.
Japan's indexes extended a two-day slump following the weakness in tech stocks in overnight trading on Wall Street. Japan's trade deficit shrank after imports fell faster than exports in July.
