Asian stocks ended mixed Tuesday, with Nikon Corp. leading advances in Japanese technology stocks, while gains in Samsung Electronic Co. helped cushion South Korean stocks from sharper declines after the technology giant said it was seeking to raise wholesale prices for its random-access memory chips in April.
In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index rose 130.88 points, or 1.04 percent, to 12,656.42.
Japanese markets shrugged off the quarterly tankan report from the Bank of Japan showing confidence among large companies had deteriorated to the most pessimistic level in more than four years. The poll also showed firms plan to reduce capital expenditure by 1.6% from last year's level in the 12-month period which begins today.
In Tokyo trading, shares of Nikon Corp.rose 2.4% and Honda Motor Co. climbed 1.8%.
Shares of Samsung Electronics added 2.1% amid news reports the firm plans to raise prices for its D-RAM chips under contact negotiations with personal computer makers this month.
The blue chip Hang Seng Index rose 288.26 points, or 1.3 percent, to 23,137.46.
Meanwhile, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 4.1 percent to 3,329.16 -- its lowest closing level since April 6, 2007. The Shenzhen Composite Index fell 7.3 percent.
Elsewhere:
Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index inched up 0.1 percent to 5,361.2.
Thailand's key index rose 0.8 percent to 823.36.
Taiwan's main index fell 1.8 percent to 8,419.72.
Indonesia's market sank 2.2 percent to 2,393.249.
New Zealand's NZX-50 rose 1.8%.
with files from other wire services
