Japan's Nikkei 225 extended its rise above the 18,000 level on Monday, helped by gains in Internet company Softbank Corp, although the advance was hard fought as profit-taking pressure mounted with the benchmark nudging near seven-year highs.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index rose 26.93 points, or 0.15 percent, to finish at 18,215.35 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 203.70 points, or 1 percent, to 20,507.95.
Stocks moved higher as investors bought oil and mining stocks after solid gains in commodities futures in New York on Friday. Steel and auto stocks also advanced with expectations for robust corporate earnings outlooks ahead, traders said.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thailand's shares ended lower in lackluster trade, tracking losses in most regional markets. The Stock Exchange of Thailand's SET index lost 0.3 percent to 688.70 points.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares slid, dragged down by fears that expected high inflation in February due to severe floods will force central bank to pause interest rate cut cycle. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index dropped 7.6 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,783.951.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian stocks fell, dragged by profit-taking in blue chip stocks and other top liners. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index was down 10.6 points, 0.8 percent, at 1,272.87.
MANILA: Philippine shares slid as investors cashed in on gains in SM Investments Co. and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., which lifted the market last week. The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 9.37 points, or 0.3 percent, at 3,380.
MUMBAI: Indian shares ended flat, reversing losses earlier in the session, as investors covered their short positions in metal and cement shares. The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-stock Sensitive Index, or Sensex, rose 0.1 percent, or 16.99 points, to 13,649.52.
SEOUL: South Korean shares ended flat as robust gains in insurance stocks were offset by falls in technology counters and the shares of two Pantech Group units. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, inched up 0.15 point, or 0.01 per cent, to a fresh high of 1470.03, marking three consecutive sessions of record closes.
SHANGHAI: Chinese shares closed at a fresh record high on the first trading day following a weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, as metals companies surged on stronger metals prices. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.4 percent to 3,040.60. The Shenzhen Composite Index rose 2.4 percent to 776.12.
SINGAPORE: Singapore shares ended flat with investors looking for leads after a record close last week. The benchmark Straits Times Index closed down 2.52 points, or 0.08 percent, at 3,307.92.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares rose robustly, the first day of trading after the weeklong Chinese New Year holiday, led by construction stocks. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange gained 90.75 points, or 1.2 percent, to close at 7,900.20 points.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand stocks slipped and brokers expect market sentiment to remain cautious ahead of the central bank's rate-setting meeting early next month. The benchmark NZX-50 was down 9.7 points, or 0.2 percent, at 4,110.61
SYDNEY: Larger miners helped lift Australian stocks to record highs. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 7.9 points, or 0.13 percent, to a record 6,044 close.
With files from wire services
