Most Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark swinging between gains and losses, as Hong Kong shares led the decline.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 19.86 points, or 0.1%, to 15,369.28.
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong dumped 389.25 points, or 1.7%, to 22,804.81, the most since March 20, reversing a 0.9% advance.
China Mobile Ltd. dropped 2.4% in Hong Kong as telecommunication shares fell most among the regional index’s industry groups.
Olympus Corp. surged 4.9% after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. reiterated its buy rating on the Japanese optics maker.
Among other shares that rose, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. gained 3.5% in Taipei. The Economic Daily News reported that Hon Hai is hiring workers for the production of Apple Inc.’s iPhone 6.
CHINA
The Shanghai CSI 300 stepped back 2.62 points, or 0.1%, to 2,134.11
HSBC/Markit’s preliminary Chinese manufacturing survey reached a seven-month high of 50.8 for June, exceeding the 49.7 median estimate of analysts and a final reading of 49.4 in May. Figures above 50 indicate expansion.
The nation’s central bank won’t loosen its "appropriately tight" monetary policy in the second-half and will deploy targeted reserve requirement ratio adjustments, said one expert.
Bank of China Ltd. sank after the nation’s seven-day repurchase rate, a gauge of cash availability, rose to a seven-week high.
In other markets;
In Korea, the Kospi index regained 6.85 points, or 0.4%, to 1,974.32
Singapore’s Straits Times Index dropped 1.40 points to 3,257.40
In Taiwan, the Taiex index lost 45.44 points, or 0.5%, to 9,228.35
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 slid 18.87 points, or 0.4%, to 5,126.16
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 33.83 points, or 0.6%, to 5,453.31
