Hong Kong and Korea shares traded higher while Japan equity benchmarks were underperformers in Thursday trade.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 retreated 275.25 points, or 0.8%, to 36,011.46.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index recovered 81.14 points, or 0.5%, to 15,566.21.
Other private surveys of manufacturing activity in Asia, outside of China and Japan, though, showed that the worst of the manufacturing slowdown of 2023 could be over.
Australia stocks fell, ending an eight-day winning streak, also retreating from an all-time high.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 poked ahead 2.36 points, or 0.1%, to 3,217.71, rebounding off near five-year lows.
The Caixin China general manufacturing purchasing managers’ index released Thursday showed factory activity in the world’s second-largest economy expanded for a third-straight month in January — extending a divergence with official data released Wednesday that pointed to a fourth-monthly contraction.
In other markets
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index stepped back 9.95 points or 0.3%, to 3,143.06.
In Taiwan, the Taiex recouped 78.55 points, or 0.4%, to 17,968.11.
In Korea, the Kospi index hiked 45.37 points, or 1.8%, to 2,542,46.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 recaptured 44.68 points, or 0.4%, to 11,916.78.
In Australia, the ASX 200 settled 92.53 points, or 1.2%, to 7,588.19.
