Nikkei slips 0.1%
As the dollar-yen pulled back, Japanese shares erased gains to slip into negative territory in the afternoon session. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index brushed off weaker-than-expected economic data to touch their highest level since June 2000 earlier.
Among the raft of data released before market open, the closely-watched consumer inflation eased for a sixth straight month in January, pushing the Bank of Japan further from its 2 percent target. Stripping out the effects of a sale tax hike, the nationwide consumer price index (CPI) rose a less-than-expected 0.2 percent, down from 0.5 percent in December.
Exporter stocks turned mixed; Automakers such as Honda, Suzuki Motor and Toyota Motor made losses between 0.6 to 1.2 percent, while Sony and Panasonic held on to gains of 0.4 and 1.9 percent each.
Yamaha Motor advanced 1..2 percent on news that it aims to start making and selling two-seater cars in Europe.
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Mainland indices up
China’s Shanghai Composite index edged up 0.6 percent to a one-month high in choppy trade, but a mixed picture in its blue-chip stocks capped advances.
Financials saw modest gains; Bank of China slid 0.2 percent, while Bank of Communications and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China rebounded 0.2 percent each. Founder Securities and Citic Securities shed 0.7 and 0.3 percent, but Haitong Securities inched up 0.5 percent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index traded up 0.4 percent to its highest level since September2014. Focus was on shares of Standard Chartered, which rallied 2 percent, on news of a leadership shake-up.
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