Stocks in Asia were mixed on Wednesday as investor concerns over the outlook for the global economy lingered.
The Nikkei 225 sifted off 49.66 points, or 0.2%, to 21,378.73, as shares of automaker Nissan dropped 3.5%.
The Japanese yen, widely viewed as a safe-haven currency, traded at 110.54 against the U.S. dollar after seeing lows around 110.6 in the previous session.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index jumped 161.34 points, or 0.6%, to 28,782.25
Korean shares gave way, as shares of industry heavyweight Samsung Electronics recovered from an earlier slip to rise 0.2% after announcing on Tuesday that its first-quarter earnings would likely fall short of expectations.
Australian markets made headway, as shares of Lynas rose 1.9%, after the company rejected a takeover bid by the conglomerate Wesfarmers. For its part, shares of Wesfarmers gained 0.7%.
The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7099 U.S. after seeing highs around $0.714 earlier.
The New Zealand dollar dropped to $0.6805 from an earlier high of $0.6914 following the central bank's decision to keep the benchmark rate at a record low of 1.75%.
While that decision was widely expected, investors were taken by surprise as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced its next move in interest rates was more likely to be a cut. Projections last month showed the cash rate increasing in early 2021.
In other markets
The CSI 300 index regained 42.95 points, or 1.2%, to 3,743.39
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index lost 1.89 points, or 0.1%, to 3,198.39
Korea’s Kospi Index dropped 3.18 points, or 0.2%, to 2,145.62
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index subtracted 16.5 points, or 0.2%, to 10,542.70
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 leaped 124.08 points, or 1.3%, to 9,698.90
In Australia, the ASX 200 added 5.38 points, or 0.1%, to 6,135.97
