By Michael Kitchen
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Several major Asian stock indexes moved off their lows Tuesday after Chinese consumer-inflation data came in lower than expected. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index (HK:HANGSENG 23,016, -104.59, -0.45%) trimmed its loss earlier in the session to trade down 0.3%, while the Shanghai Composite added to gains, up 0.6%. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NI225 10,750, +24.59, +0.23%) reversed from losses ahead of the data to trade 0.2% higher, also boosted by the Bank of Japan's upgrade to its economic outlook. South Korea's Kospi (XX:$SEU 2,014, -0.24, -0.01%) rose 0.3%, while Taiwan's Taiex added 0.6%, although India's Sensex (XX:SENSEX 18,141, -61.05, -0.34%) was down 0.3% in early moves. Notable movers included Toyota Motor Corp. (JP:7203 3,895, +25.00, +0.65%) (TM 91.59, -1.22, -1.32%) , rising 1.3% after its U.S.-traded issues gained overnight, and Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (HK:293 19.52, -0.44, -2.20%) (CPCAY 12.86, +0.01, +0.08%) , which fell 2.3% after announcing a fall in its January load factor. |
