CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Asian stocks ended mixed on Monday even as stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs growth data as well as signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks helped ease concerns about the global economy.
China's Shanghai Composite index fluctuated before finishing on a flat note on hopes for more policy easing and amid optimism over ongoing trade talks with Washington.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.47 percent to 30,077.15 after Chinese official broadcaster CCTV reported that there was 'new progress' in trade talks that concluded in Washington on Friday.
Japanese shares closed lower as investors braced for the upcoming corporate earnings season.
The Nikkei average dipped 45.85 points or 0.21 percent to 21,761.65, after hitting as high as 21,900.55 in early trade, the highest level since early December. The broader Topix index closed 0.35 percent lower at 1,620.14.
Honda Motor fell 1.5 percent, Toyota Motor shed 0.8 percent and Panasonic dropped 1.3 percent as the yen pushed higher against the dollar.
Financial succumbed to profit taking after recent gains, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial and Dai-ichi Life Holdings ending down around 1 percent.
In the technology sector, Tokyo Electron declined 1.6 percent and Shin-Etsu Chemical gave up 1.2 percent.
In economic releases, Japan had current account surplus of 2,676.8 billion yen in February, a government report showed. That exceeded expectations for a surplus of 2,633.5 billion yen following the 600.4 billion yen surplus in January.
Exports were down 1.9 percent from a year earlier, while imports skidded an annual 6.6 percent. The trade surplus came in at 489.2 billion yen, shy of expectations for 591.3 billion yen but up from the 964.8 billion yen deficit in the previous month.
Australian markets advanced, led by mining and energy stocks. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 40.10 points or 0.65 percent to 6,221.40 while the broader All Ordinaries index ended up 40.20 points or 0.64 percent at 6,310.80.
BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group jumped 2-3 percent as iron ore prices hit record high.
Woodside Petroleum, Beach Energy, Origin Energy, Oil Search and Santos climbed 1-2 percent as oil prices hit five-month highs on expectations that an escalating conflict in Libya could tighten supplies. Oil services firm WorleyParsons rallied 3 percent.
Rare earths miner Lynas Corp gained half a percent despite shocking comments made by the Malaysian Prime Minister about the company at a press conference last Friday.
Seoul stocks ended little changed with a positive bias. Korean Air Lines jumped 1.9 percent and Hanjin KAL, the holding firm of Korean Air, soared 20.6 percent on hopes for governance changes after Chairman Cho Yang-ho died in Los Angeles on Sunday.
New Zealand shares ended lower to extend losses for a fourth consecutive session after Infratil revised down its underlying earnings guidance for the 2019 financial year.
While shares of the infrastructure investment company dropped 1.6 percent, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index ended down 49.97 points or 0.51 percent at 9,807.08.
U.S. stocks rose on Friday after the release of strong jobs data. The major averages rose between 0.2 percent and 0.6 percent to end the session at their best closing levels in about six months.
Non-farm payroll employment jumped by 196,000 jobs in March after edging up by a revised 33,000 jobs in February, though wage increases slowed in the month.
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