Asian shares mixed amid caution on US-China trade talks

Asian shares were mixed Tuesday as investors stayed cautious over prospects for an agreement in tre talks between United States and China.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 shed 0.5% to 23,292.65. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 ded 0.7% to 6,814.20. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.3% to 2,153.24. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.2% to 27,014.31, while Shanghai Composite index was at 2,923.36, up 0.5%.

On Wall Street, all three major indexes edged above all-time highs y set on Friday. S&P 500 rose 1.57 points, or 0.1%, to 3,122.03. Dow Jones Industrial Aver gained 0.1% to 28,036.22, and Nasdaq composite climbed 0.1% to 8,549.94.

Small-company stocks fell. Russell 2000 index gave up 0.3% to 1,592.34.

“With significant data releases in Asia today, attention in region will remain focused on tre concerns and Hong Kong. Neir is likely to inspire confidence of market participants,” said Jeffrey Halley, a senior market analyst at Oanda.

Chinese indexes were rising moderately despite continuing unrest in Hong Kong. Police have tightened ir blocke over Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where some protesters are trapped and hundreds who left have been arrested.

U.S. market has been on a tear since early October, and indexes have been on a nearly uninterrupted run as worries about a possible recession have fed. Solid ecomic data, better corporate earnings than analysts expected and interest-rate cuts by Federal Reserve have all helped.

That leaves negotiations in U.S.-China tre war as remaining wild card for market. President Donald Trump h earlier hoped to have signatures on first phase of a tre deal by w, at a major international summit that was scheduled for this past weekend. But president of summit’s host nation, Chile, canceled meeting last month amid nationwide protests.

two sides are continuing to negotiate, with stock markets around world swinging on every hint of progress or tension.

Counterbalancing those losses were big gains for techlogy stocks, particularly chip makers. y bolted higher after Commerce Department gave ar 90-day extension for Chinese tech giant Huawei to continue doing business with U.S. companies.

“Risk sentiment can be seen little changed amid conflicting reports on US-China tre as we remain in a very heline driven reality,” said Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore.

“Asia markets h once again commenced with a lackluster tone, one that we are growing accustomed to amid lack of clarity counting down to December tariffs deline.”

ENERGY: Benchmark oil fell 19 cents to $56.86 a barrel. It fell 67 cents to $57.05 a barrel Monday. Brent crude, international standard, slipped 16 cents to $62.28 a barrel.

CURRENCIES: dollar fell to 108.63 Japanese yen from 108.68 yen on Monday. euro strengned to $1.1080 from $1.1072.