Asian Shares Muted After Mixed China Trade Data

(RTTNews) - Asian stocks ended Tuesday's session on a mixed note after the U.S. government proposed new sanctions on Chinese biotech firms.

Investors digested Chinese trade data and looked ahead to the release of key U.S. consumer and producer inflation readings this week for additional clues on the size of potential rate cuts by the Federal Reserve at its meeting next week.

Investor attention was also focused on the first U.S. Presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump to be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania later today.

The dollar hovered near a one-week high in Asian trading, weighing on gold prices. Oil dipped as worries about Chinese demand offset supply disruptions from Tropical Storm Francine.

China's Shanghai Composite index ended 0.28 percent higher at 2,744.19, recovering from an early slide after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to cut off U.S. government funding for Chinese biotech companies deemed national security risks.

Meanwhile, China's exports grew more than expected in August, while imports growth weakened sharply amid weak domestic demand, official data revealed today.

Exports posted an annual growth of 8.7 percent, marking the fastest expansion in 17 months. At the same time, imports grew only 0.5 percent, pushing up the trade surplus.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.22 percent to 17,234.09 after Alibaba Group Holding announced its shares traded on the Hong Kong bourse have been included in the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs. Shares of the tech heavyweight surged 4.2 percent.

Japanese markets extended recent losses as investors looked ahead to upcoming Fed and BoJ policy meetings later this month.

The Nikkei average slid 0.16 percent to 36,159.16, extending losses for a sixth straight session. The broader Topix index settled 0.12 percent lower at 2,576.54 in its fifth straight session of losses.

Drug maker Daiichi Sankyo plunged 8.6 percent after its lung cancer drug with AstraZeneca showed mixed results in a late-stage trial.

Technology stocks performed well, with chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron rallying 3.5 percent and Advantest adding 1.2 percent.

Seoul stocks ended lower for a sixth consecutive session, with tech stocks and battery makers pacing the declines. The benchmark Kospi dropped 0.49 percent to 2,523.43.

Samsung Electronics fell 1.9 percent, SK Hynix gave up 1 percent and LG Energy Solution sank 5 percent.

Australian markets ended a tad higher, led by financials. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.30 percent to 8,011.90 while the broader All Ordinaries index ended up 0.31 percent at 8,217.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia rose 0.6 percent and Macquarie Group advanced 1.6 percent after the country's prudential regulator proposed to replace bank hybrid bonds with more reliable and less expensive forms of capital.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index finished marginally higher at 12,632.82.

U.S. stocks rose sharply overnight after last week's steep losses on uncertainty over the U.S. economic outlook.

The Dow, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 all surged around 1.2 percent as debate swirled around the scale and speed of potential rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.