Asian stocks were mixed in early trading Thursday as investors remained cautious amid a spate of worldwide geopolitical concerns, including President Donald Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S.-China trade talks, testimony by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, Brexit and conflict between India and Pakistan.
Japan’s Nikkei NIK, -0.39% slipped 0.3%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng HSI, +0.10% rose slightly. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite SHCOMP, -0.35% fell about 0.3% on disappointing factory-activity data, while the smaller-cap Shenzhen Composite 399106, +0.17% rose about 0.2%. South Korea’s Kospi SEU, -0.39% fell 0.5%, weighed by falling tech stocks, and benchmarks in Taiwan Y9999, -0.02% and Indonesia JAKIDX, -0.23% dropped as well.
Read: China’s factory activity drops to lowest level in 3 years
Among individual stocks, robotics maker Fanuc 6954, -2.28% fell in Tokyo trading, while oil producer Inpex 1605, +0.92% gained. AIA Group 1299, +1.88% and HSBC 0005, +0.94% rose in Hong Kong, while Apple AAPL, +0.31% supplier AAC 2018, -1.56% continued its losing streak. Samsung 005930, -2.25% and SK Hynix 000660, -4.48% slumped in Korea, following a decline in U.S. semiconductor stocks. Mining giant Rio Tinto RIO, +1.31% and Beach Energy BPT, +0.24% gained in Australia.
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