06:46 AM EDT, 04/30/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were mixed Tuesday on Wall Street cues and earnings-season signals as traders awaited clarity from the pending US Federal Reserve policy meeting.

Hong Kong and Tokyo ended higher while Shanghai declined. Other regional exchanges were also mixed.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher after a three-day hiatus and finished up 1.2% as traders weighed a soft yen trading near 157 to the US dollar, despite recent official rumblings in Tokyo that currency-strengthening moves were possible.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 470.90 to 38,405.66, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 187 to 38.

Leading the upside was Mitsubishi Electric, up 15.9%, while online medical services company M3 lost 9.9%.

In economic news, Japan's retail sales in March rose 1.2% year-on-year, but declined by the same amount, by a seasonally adjusted 1.2%, from February, reported the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Separately, the nation's industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 3.8% in March from February, but declined 6.7% on the year, added METI.

In March, there were 130 job openings per job seeker in Japan, down from 134 in February, reported the Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened evenly, see-sawed, and finished up 0.1%, on strength in property issues.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 16.12 to 17,763.03, although losing issues outnumbered gainers 48 to 33. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.3% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 0.5%.

Leading the upside was Haier Smart Home, gaining 7.9%, while Sino Biopharmaceutical declined 3.9%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.3% to 3,104.82.

In economic news, the Caixin China seasonally adjusted purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 51.4 in April, up from 51.1 in March, and striking further above the 50-marker that separates growth from contraction, reported S&P Global.

Separately, the nation's official PMI posted at 50.4 in April, down from 50.8 in March, reported the National Bureau of Statistics.

China's non-manufacturing PMI logged at 51.2 in April, down from 53.0 in March, the NBS added.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 0.2%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 0.5%; the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.4%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.3%, and the Thai Set inclined 0.4%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.3%.

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