Hong Kong stocks ended lower Thursday for a fifth day in a row, after China’s consumer inflation slowed more than expected in August.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gained 120.42 points, or 0.8%, to 15,909.20.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index tumbled 42.72 points, or 0.2%, to 24,602.64
Oil stocks continued to fall as crude futures hit an eight-month low overnight in New York, with PetroChina Co. the country’s largest oil producer, extending a four-day losing streak to drop 1.6%.
Refining giant China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. or Sinopec, gave up 1.4%, while Cnooc Ltd. the offshore oil and gas producer, pulled back 1.2%.
Meanwhile, Chinese mobile operators bounced back after significant losses a day earlier, with industry giant China Mobile Ltd advancing 1.3%, and its smaller rivals China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. and China Telecom Corp. up 1.6% and 1% separately.
Online major Tencent Holdings Ltd. also recovered some losses after three straight sessions of declines, edging up 0.2%.
CHINA
Shanghai’s CSI 300 index lost 8.98 points, or 0.4%, to 2,423.45.
Official data showed China’s consumer-price index rose 2% in August from a year ago, down from a 2.3% increase in July, and below a forecast 2.2% gain from a Wall Street Journal poll of economists.
Refining giant China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. or Sinopec, gave up 1.4%, while Cnooc Ltd. the offshore oil and gas producer, pulled back 1.2%.
In other markets;
In Korea, the Kospi index returned from holiday to lose 15.25 points, or 0.7%, to 2,0345.16
The Taiex index in Taiwan fell back 34.66 points, or 0.4%, to 9,322.95
In Singapore, the Straits Times STI Index recovered 8.65 points, or 0.3%, to 3,347.28
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 gained 25.67 points, or 0.5%, to 5,262.32
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 subtracted 28.16 points, or 0.5%, to 5,546.13
