Asian Shares End On Tepid Note As US Jobs Report Looms

(RTTNews) - Asian stocks ended on a subdued note Tuesday as investors awaited more U.S. economic data, including Friday's non-farm payrolls report for August to gauge the size of the Federal Reserve's rate cut later this month.

Signs of sluggish demand in China and heightened tensions in the Middle East also weighed on regional markets.

Oil and gold prices dipped in Asian trading as the dollar extended its rebound ahead of the release of manufacturing and service PMI readings.

China's Shanghai Composite index dipped 0.29 percent to 2,802.98, dragged down by banks and energy stocks. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slid 0.23 percent to 17,651.49.

Sanergy Group, a maker of graphite products, plummeted 98 percent after Hong Kong's securities regulator warned of its highly concentrated ownership.

Japanese stocks ended lower as the yen rebounded from a two-week low hit earlier in the session. The Nikkei average finished marginally lower at 38,686.31 while the broader Topix index settled 0.64 percent higher at 2,733.27.

Tech stocks such as Advantest and Tokyo Electron fell 1-2 percent.

Banks advanced amid higher bond yields at home and abroad. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group surged 3.3 percent and Mizuho Financial Group climbed 2.6 percent.

Seoul stocks fell notably even as soft inflation data backed the case for a rate cut next month. The Kospi average dropped 0.61 percent to 2,664.63, with tech stocks pacing the decliners. Samsung Electronics lost 2.6 percent and SK Hynix gave up 3.3 percent.

Data showed South Korea's headline inflation eased from 2.6 percent to 2.0 percent in August, marking its lowest level on a year-on-year basis since March 2021.

Australian markets ended marginally lower, primarily due to losses in consumer-related and mining stocks. Retailer Woolworths declined 1.7 percent after it decided to sell its stake in liquor stores.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index eased 0.17 percent to close at 12,534.51.

U.S. markets were closed on Monday in observance of Labour Day.