Asia-Pacific markets fell Monday, after Wall Street declined Friday stateside as investors took a breather from the AI trade.
The Nikkei 225 tumbled 668.44 points, or 1.3%, to 50,168.11.
Japan announced its fourth-quarter Tankan numbers. The index for business optimism among large Japanese manufacturers increased to +15 for the fourth quarter, hitting the highest level in four years.
The latest reading compared to the +14 increase in the previous quarter, and matched expectations of economists polled by Reuters. The non-manufacturing index for the fourth quarter came in at +34.
The Tankan survey, conducted by the Bank of Japan, measures business sentiment among companies in the world’s fourth largest economy.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng reversed 347.91 points, or 1.3%, to 25,628.88, after a slew of key economic data out of China.
In Korea, index heavyweights memory chipmaker SK Hynix was down 2.98%, while Samsung Electronics declined 3.76%.
Australian markets went lower. On Sunday, the country suffered its worst gun attack in over 30 years that left at least 15 dead.
CHINA
The CSI 300 in Shanghai lost 28.89 points, or 0.6%, to 4,552.06.
Retail sales rose 1.3% last month from a year earlier, sharply missing Reuters’ median forecast for a 2.8% growth, and slowing from the 2.9% rise in the prior month.
Industrial production climbed 4.8% in November from a year ago, down from 4.9% in the prior month and missing expectations for a 5% increase.
In other markets
In Korea, the Kospi fell 76.57 points, or 1.8%, to 4,090.59.
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index eked up 2.72 points, or 0.1%, to 4,589.17.
In Taiwan, the Taiex stumbled 331.08 points, or 1.2%, to 27,866.94.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 edged up 1.22 points to 13,408.13.
In Australia, the ASX 200 slid 62.23 points, or 0.7%, to 8,635.04.
