Asian markets were mostly down on Thursday with traders in Japan booking profits following the Nikkei’s highest close since September 2008 as investors awaited fresh economic leads from China.
Tokyo fell 0.78 per cent by the break and Seoul slipped 0.11 per cent. Hong Kong was down 0.04 per cent and Shanghai slipped 0.14 per cent.
But Sydney bucked the trend, edging up 0.27 per cent.
Traders opted out of big risks ahead of the latest numbers from China, the world’s number two economy, due to be released on Friday before the country shuts up shop for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Investors were awaiting the release of key economic figures for January, including inflation and trade data, for more signs the domestic economy is improving, which could boost the market, analysts said.
However, the looming Chinese New Year holiday could put a damper on trading.
China’s economy expanded 7.8 per cent last year, its lowest annual figure since 1999, in the face of weakness at home and in key overseas markets.