Asian equities were mostly lower early Monday, as a negative finish in the US last week and surprisingly weak trade data in China over the weekend weighed on sentiment. Mainland trade data released on Sunday showed exports fell 3.3 percent from year-ago levels, while imports tumbled 19.9 percent, below expectations. US stocks closed down last Friday, ending the week significantly higher, amid continued concerns over Greece and a strong jobs report that renewed the possibility of an earlier Fed rate hike. For January, the Labor Department said the US created 257,000 jobs, beating estimates of about 230,000. More importantly, average hourly earnings grew by 0.5 percent, above estimates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 closed down 0.3 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended 0.4 percent lower.
Nikkei adds 0.2% Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 trimmed gains from a one-week high attained earlier in the session as the yen moved further away from a four-week low of 119 against the dollar. Exporter stocks were mixed, with Sharp up more than 1 percent, but Toyota Motor and Nissan lessened gains to near the flatline. Electronics like Nikon and Sony receded 3.6 and 2.1 percent each.
Usine de L'argent Securities 