Investing.com – Asian stock markets were mixed on Tuesday, as shares in commodity producers were broadly higher, however gains were limited amid lingering fears over the euro zone’s debt crisis.
During late Asian trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index edged 0.1% lower, South Korea's Kospi Composite added 0.29%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index eased up 0.17%.
On Monday, Fitch Ratings lowered the outlook on Belgium’s credit rating to negative, saying that political deadlock complicates efforts to cut the euro zone’s third highest debt load.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, shares in oil producers led gains as oil prices rebounded from near a one-week low after both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley recommended buying the commodity.
Oil and gas giant PetroChina saw shares climb 1%, shares in China Shenhua Energy jumped 1.4%, while China’s largest offshore oil driller CNOOC saw shares add 0.75%.
Shares in Esprit Holdings, the Hong Kong-based retailer that counts Europe as its largest market, rose 2.4%, recouping some of its losses from the previous day.
Elsewhere, in Japan, consumer electronics giant Sony saw shares jump 2.65% despite warning of a fiscal year loss just a couple days ahead of its financial results, but kept its operating profit forecast unchanged.
Shares in construction machinery manufacturer Komatsu rose 1.5% and Hitachi Construction Machinery added 1.1% after falling sharply the previous day on concerns about a slowdown in China.
However, shares in automakers performed poorly amid concerns over the pace of the global economic recovery. The world’s second largest automaker Toyota saw shares slide 0.9%, Nissan dipped 0.75%, while shares in Mitsubishi Motors slumped 1.05%.
The outlook for European equity markets, meanwhile, was modestly higher. The EURO STOXX 50 futures pointed to a gain of 0.25%, France’s CAC 40 futures added 0.35%, the FTSE 100 futures pointed to an increase of 0.22%, while Germany's DAX futures indicated rose 0.2%.
Later in the day, the euro zone was to release official data on industrial new orders, while the Ifo Institute for Economic Research was to publish a report on German business climate. Also Tuesday, the U.S. was to publish government data on new home sales.
During late Asian trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index edged 0.1% lower, South Korea's Kospi Composite added 0.29%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index eased up 0.17%.
On Monday, Fitch Ratings lowered the outlook on Belgium’s credit rating to negative, saying that political deadlock complicates efforts to cut the euro zone’s third highest debt load.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, shares in oil producers led gains as oil prices rebounded from near a one-week low after both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley recommended buying the commodity.
Oil and gas giant PetroChina saw shares climb 1%, shares in China Shenhua Energy jumped 1.4%, while China’s largest offshore oil driller CNOOC saw shares add 0.75%.
Shares in Esprit Holdings, the Hong Kong-based retailer that counts Europe as its largest market, rose 2.4%, recouping some of its losses from the previous day.
Elsewhere, in Japan, consumer electronics giant Sony saw shares jump 2.65% despite warning of a fiscal year loss just a couple days ahead of its financial results, but kept its operating profit forecast unchanged.
Shares in construction machinery manufacturer Komatsu rose 1.5% and Hitachi Construction Machinery added 1.1% after falling sharply the previous day on concerns about a slowdown in China.
However, shares in automakers performed poorly amid concerns over the pace of the global economic recovery. The world’s second largest automaker Toyota saw shares slide 0.9%, Nissan dipped 0.75%, while shares in Mitsubishi Motors slumped 1.05%.
The outlook for European equity markets, meanwhile, was modestly higher. The EURO STOXX 50 futures pointed to a gain of 0.25%, France’s CAC 40 futures added 0.35%, the FTSE 100 futures pointed to an increase of 0.22%, while Germany's DAX futures indicated rose 0.2%.
Later in the day, the euro zone was to release official data on industrial new orders, while the Ifo Institute for Economic Research was to publish a report on German business climate. Also Tuesday, the U.S. was to publish government data on new home sales.