Investing.com - Asian shares were mixed in a lower volatility session on Wednesday with Sydney off on weak second quarter GDP figures.
The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.47%, but the Shanghai Composite rose 0.31%. The Nikkei 225 hgained 0.97%.
Australia's second quarter GDP rose 0.2%, below the expected 0.4% quarter-on-quarter gain.
Overnight, U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Oil & Gas, Basic Materials and Technology sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.84%, while the S&P 500 index declined 2.96%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 2.94%.
Overnight, data showed that manufacturing activity in the U.S. expanded at the slowest rate in more than two years in August and as concerns over the prospect for growth in China continued to weigh.
The Institute of Supply Management said its manufacturing index fell to 51.1 from 52.7in July. It was the lowest reading since May 2013 and was below economists’ forecasts of 52.6.
In a separate report, Markit said the final reading of its manufacturing index fell to 53 from 53.8 in August. This was the lowest level since October 2013, but was slightly higher that the preliminary reading of 52.9.
The weak data added to doubts over whether the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates in September.
Investors were looking ahead to Friday’s U.S. jobs report for August, which could help to provide clarity on the likelihood of a near-term interest rate hike.
Manufacturing activity in China contracted at its fastest rate in three years in August, while service sector activity also slowed.