Asian markets were mixed on Monday, as the dollar strengthened against Asian currencies.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 hiked 233.18 points, or 1.4%, to 17,068.02, as the yen weakened against the rising dollar and on media reports that a planned hike in the country's consumption would be delayed.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index gained 52.62 points, or 0.3%, to 20,629
Japan's April retail sales fell 0.8% year-on-year, compared to market consensus for a 1.2% decline.
Over the weekend, a Japanese government source told news media that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would most likely postpone the consumption tax hike for fear of upsetting the country's fragile economy.
Major Australian resource producers were under pressure, with shares of Rio Tinto were lower 0.1%, Fortescue Metals down 1.3% and BHP Billiton fell 0.7%
Australia's Santos was up 0.9% while Oil Search was up 0.7%; Japan's Inpex was up 1.5%.
On the currency front, the U.S. dollar/ Japanese yen currency pair was trading at 111.29, breaking above 111 levels for the first time since late April. A weaker yen is generally a positive for exporter as it increases overseas profits when converted into local currency.
The Australian dollar weakened 0.21% against the U.S. dollar, trading at 0.7163
In other markets
The CSI 300 Index regained 4.21 points, or 0.1%, to 3,066.71.
In Korea, the Kospi Index dipped 2.04 points, or 0.1%, to 1,967.13
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index dropped 5.76 points, or 0.2%, to 2,796.75
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index gathered 72.26 points, or 0.9%, to 8,535.87
New Zealand’s NZX 50 added 27.09 points, or 0.4%, to 7,019.64
The ASX 200 progressed 2.1 points, or 0.04%, to 5,408.02
