Asian markets mostly sank Tuesday, giving up much of their gains from the previous session, as data showing China's economy growing at its slowest pace in five years trumped another positive lead from Wall Street.
After the wild swings of last week that were fuelled by global growth fears, Monday's hefty advances across the region raised hopes shares were on a more even keel as the earnings season approaches.
However the data out of China confirmed the world's number two economy is struggling to pick up the pace despite government measures to boost growth.
Tokyo slipped 2.03 percent, or 306.95 points, to 14,804.28 a day after clocking up a gain of almost four percent, while Seoul shed 0.77 percent, or 14.78 points, to 1,915.28.
Shanghai dipped 0.72 percent, or 17.07 points, to 2,339.66 and in the late afternoon Hong Kong was 0.18 percent lower.
But Sydney ended 0.11 percent higher, adding 5.6 points to 5,325.0.
Stocks surged on Monday in response to Friday's Wall Street advance that was propelled by bargain-hunting and upbeat US corporate results.
However, another day of gains in New York was unable to give the same lift to Asia on Tuesday. The Dow rose 0.12 percent, the S&P 500 added 0.91 percent and the Nasdaq jumped 1.35 percent.
In Beijing, the National Bureau of Statistics said the economy grew 7.3 percent year-on-year in July-September, lower than the 7.5 percent expansion in the previous three months and the slowest since the 6.6 percent in the first quarter of 2009.
But it exceeded the median forecast of 7.2 percent in an AFP survey of 17 economists, and some analysts said upbeat industrial production figures suggested the slowdown may have bottomed out.
China is a crucial driver of world growth and any weakness fuels concerns about its knock-on effect for other countries, from the United States to the eurozone to Australia.
While investors initially took the numbers in their stride, with Hong Kong and Shanghai edging up, shares headed south in the afternoon.
On currency markets the dollar fell to 106.33 yen from 106.92 yen in New York and well below the 107.10 yen earlier Monday in Asia.
The euro bought $1.2821 and 136.34 yen against $1.2800 and 136.86 yen.
Oil prices were mixed. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for November delivery fell 49 cents to $82.22 a barrel and Brent crude for December added $1.15 to $85.55.
Gold was at $1,248.32 an ounce against $1,244.57 late Monday.
In other markets:
-- Taipei eased 0.10 percent, or 8.50 points, to 8,654.64.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co closed 0.79 percent lower at Tw$125.0, while Hon Hai Precision Industry fell 0.32 percent to Tw$93.5.
-- Wellington rose 0.68 percent, or 35.24 points, to 5,233.12.
Spark was up 1.21 percent at NZ$2.935 and Air New Zealand added 1.59 percent to NZ$1.86.
AFP
Tue Oct 21 2014
Asian markets mostly sank Tuesday.
Kagame, menang 99.5 peratus pilihan raya Rwanda
Paul Kagame meneruskan khidmatnya buat penggal keempat berturut-turut sebagai Presiden Rwanda, selepas memenangi 99.15 peratus undi dalam pilihan raya negara itu.
Polis kerah lebih 300 anggota kawal perlawanan Piala FA
Seramai 351 anggota polis ditugaskan bagi mengawal perlawanan separuh akhir Piala FA antara Terengganu FC (TFC) dengan Selangor FC di Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (SSMZA) Jumaat ini.
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di bilik hotel di Thailand
Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat ambil maklum mengenai laporan mengenai dua warganegaranya yang ditemui mati di sebuah hotel di Thailand.
EU tolak label UNRWA sebagai organisasi pengganas
Ketua Dasar Luar Kesatuan Eropah (EU), Josep Borrell mengulangi penolakan blok itu melabel Agensi Bantuan dan Kerja Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu untuk Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) sebagai organisasi pengganas.
Mengimbau sedekad tragedi MH17
Pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines ditembak jatuh di timur Ukraine sejurus berlepas dari Lapangan Terbang Schiphol di Amsterdam, mengorbankan kesemua 283 penumpang dan 15 anak kapal di dalamnya.
Tragedi yang berlaku pada 17 Julai 2014 itu, kini memasuki tahun ke-10 kejadiannya.
Tragedi yang berlaku pada 17 Julai 2014 itu, kini memasuki tahun ke-10 kejadiannya.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap, pastikan kewangan negara lebih mampan
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari telefon, rantai Nur Farah Kartini hari ini
Proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Bangkai pesawat MH17 tanpa sayap imbau kekejaman tragedi menyayat hati
Keadaan serpihan pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yang cuba dibina semula tanpa sayap, tayar, ekor dan tempat duduk penumpang cukup menggerunkan sekali gus mengingatkan pada kekejaman yang meragut
VOP akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan - Ahmad
Pelaksanaan Syarat Perubahan Harga (VOP) susulan penyasaran subsidi diesel dijangka diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan lagi, kata Timbalan Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Industri minyak sawit disaran guna semula sisa untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan - Liew
Industri minyak sawit perlu mengkaji penggunaan semula sisa sebagai stok suapan penting untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan (SAF), di luar penggunaan tradisional minyak sawit.