Investing.com – Asian equities were mixed in morning trade on Wednesday as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) led rally in technology shares after reporting strong earnings, while several key markets in Asia resumed trading after holidays.
Apple reported a 16% jump in its second quarter revenue, while profit came in at $2.73 a share, beating estimates of $2.64. The company’s shares rose 3% following the results after being under pressured in recent weeks amid concerns on demand for its flagship iPhone X.
Meanwhile, the dollar pulled back after recording its biggest jump in more than a week earlier in the day. The U.S. dollar index that tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies last stood at 92.20, down 0.08% at 9:23PM ET (01:23 GMT).
In Asia, The Nikkei 225 slipped 0.2% in morning trade. The Markit/Nikkei Japan Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to 52.5 in April from 50.9 in March, data showed.
"Following successive months of softening output growth through February and March, Japan's service sector started the second quarter by gathering some momentum," said Joe Hayes, economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey.
"Panelists noted that increased competition and rising labor shortages may impact output potential over the coming 12 months."
However, the survey also indicated business confidence fell as companies struggle to hire workers amid a labor shortage.
Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (T:7201) made headlines after the company said its deliveries in April unexpectedly declined 28%. Nissan's shares fell as much as 1.8% following the announcement on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, South Korea’s KOSPI fell 0.4%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 and Singapore’s STI Index gained 0.5% and 0.7% respectively.
Looking ahead, investors’ attention is likely to focus on the Federal Reserve meeting later in the day for signals on whether the Fed would raise interest rates another three times this year. The U.S. payrolls report is due later this week.