Investing.com - Asian shares were mixed on Thursday as manufacturing PMIs out of China aided sentiment though Shanghai fell slightly.
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.28% and the Shanghai Composite fell 0.16%, while the S&P/ASX 200 eased 0.10%
In China, the semi-official CFLP manufacturing PMI for August came in at 50.4, entering expansion territory and compared to the 49.9 level seen. The non-manufacturing PMI came in at 53.5, a tad weaker than the 53.9 previously. The Caixin manufacturing PMI for August came in at 50, just at expansion, but missing the expected 50.1 level seen and showing a dip from 50.6 the previous month.
Earlier in Australia, the AIG manufacturing index for August came in at 46.9, compared with a previous reading of 56.4. It was the lowest level since June last year, ending 13 straight months of expansion. The fall was mainly because of softening in the food and beverages sub-sector, which has been the strongest performer so far this year.
In Japan, the manufacturing PMI for August came in at 49.5, a dip below the 49.6 expected.
Also in Australia, private capital expenditure figures for the second quarter dropped 5.4%, more than the are expected decline of 4.2% quarter-on-quarter and at the same time retail sales for July were flat, missing a 0.3% month-on-month gain seen.
Overnight, U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Oil & Gas, Basic Materials and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.29%, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.24%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.19%.