Asian stock markets close Tuesday mixed

By Aysu Bicer

ANKARA (AA) – Major Asian stock markets closed Tuesday mixed as investors focus on ever-increasing COVID-19 cases in China.

The decrease in Shanghai coronavirus cases for the first time this month was welcomed in the markets, with some of the COVID-19 measures starting to be eased in the financial hub.

Yet many of other cities remain in partial or full lockdown.

Meanwhile, the producer price index in Japan increased 9.5% annually and 0.8% monthly.

The country’s wholesale prices jumped 7.3% in the year to March 2022 from a year earlier, the fastest pace on record, driven by surging crude oil and commodity prices, according to data revealed by the Bank of Japan on Tuesday.

China’s Shanghai Stock Exchange was on the positive territory, up 46.20 points or 1.46%, to 3,213.

The Asia Dow, which includes blue-chip companies in the region, fell 31.66 points, or 0.90%, to around 3,470.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 stock exchange slipped 486.54 points, or 1.81%, to 26,334 at the daily close.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Hang Seng, the benchmark for blue-chip stocks trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, increased 110.83 points, or 0.52%, to 21,319.