Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Topix traded down 1.28 percent and 0.81 percent, respectively, after Japan posted another trade deficit in December. The yen currently stands at 128.43 against the US dollar.
South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.37 percent, while the Kosdaq was flat. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.57 percent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell partially. Mainland China’s Shanghai Composite was up 0.13 percent and the Shenzhen Component was down 0.44 percent.
Hong Kong and Australia will publish unemployment rates for December and October-December respectively.
Overnight on Wall Street, major stock indexes stumbled and the S&P 500 recorded the worst day in more than a month.
