Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed at 19,925.74 points, down 125.51 points or 0.63% as investors awaited the US non-farm payrolls release on Friday.
Meanwhile, China’s Shanghai Composite fell slightly, closing at 3,276.09 points, down 7.15 points or 0.22%, after the country released its latest inflation figures.
On the other hand, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed slightly higher at 7,311.10, up 3.30 points or 0.05%, while All Ordinaries closed at 7,514.40, up 10.50 points or 0.14%, led by gains in technology stocks.
In Japan, the Nikkei closed up for the fifth consecutive session and reached a six-month high of 28,623.15, up 178.96 points or 0.63%, driven by buying pressure in travel stocks. However, investors started trading more cautiously as they awaited important data on the economic calendar.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Composite Index (KOSPI) closed for the second consecutive day at 2,419.09 points, down 12.82 points or 0.53%, due to selling pressure from foreign investors. However, the won strengthened against the dollar.
The Bank of Japan meeting was also in focus as investors awaited the outcome. The BOJ is expected to keep its policy unchanged, but market participants will be closely monitoring any comments on the country’s economic recovery and inflation outlook.