Chinese markets gained in a mixed trading session in Asia on Monday, with many market watchers predicting a quiet week ahead in the absence of major economic data, and with many markets off for Good Friday.
Markets in Tokyo were shuttered for holiday.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index nosed up 12.52 points, or 1.3%, to 20,684.15
In the currency market, the Japanese yen maintained its strength against the dollar, with the U.S. dollar/yen pair trading down 0.1% at 111.39 Monday afternoon, compared to Friday's finish at 111.55. Earlier on Monday, the pair fell to a session low of 111.20.
Meanwhile, the Australian dollar weakened against the U.S. dollar, with the pair trading down 0.2% at 0.7585. Last Thursday, the Aussie reached the $0.76 level against the greenback, before retreating.
Hong Kong-listed shares of Standard Chartered bank surged Monday, closing up 7.4%, following gains in the bank's shares in London trading on Friday.
Major Australian miners closed mixed, with shares of Rio Tinto down 0.1% and BHP Billiton adding 0.4%. The country's so-called Big Four banks - ANZ, Commonwealth Bank of Australia,Westpac and NAB - ended the trading day lower as much as 1.3%.
South Korean blue-chip stocks ended mixed, with Samsung Electronics erasing early gains to close lower by 0.5%, Kepco up 0.8% and Hyundai Motor higher by 2.7%
Energy plays in Asia were mixed, with Santos closing down 3% and Woodside Petroleum erasing losses to close up 0.3%.
CHINA
Market watchers pointed to China's loosening of controls over margin lending as a catalyst for the moves.
The Shanghai CSI 300 index added 77.47 points, or 2.4%, to 3,249.44
Chinese brokerages saw sharp gains, closing up over 9% on average, with Founder Securities gaining 10%, Citic Securities adding 10% and Haitong Securities higher by 9.8%
Among Chinese energy stocks, mainland shares of China's Sinopec finishing up 2.8%
State-backed China Securities Finance Corporation, which provides margin financing loan services to securities companies, announced on its website last Friday it will restart offering loans to Chinese securities firms for periods ranging from seven to 182 days
The Chinese yuan weakened against the dollar, with the U.S. dollar/yuan pair trading up 0.3% at 6.4841. Before market open, the People's Bank of China set the yuan mid-point at 6.4824 to the greenback, compared with Friday's fix of 6.4628.
In other markets;
In Korea, the Kospi index slipped 2.36 points, or 0.1%, to 1,989.76
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index acquired 1.99 points to 8,812.70
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index slid 26.11 points, or 0.9%, to 2,880.69
The NZX 50 in New Zealand gained 18.43 points, or 0.3%, to 6,641.94
In Australia, the ASX 200 lost 16.56 points, or 0.3%, to 5,166.57
