Asian stock markets turned in a choppy Thursday, as traders weighed easing petroleum prices but also digested interest-rate hikes by US and Hong Kong central banks.
Brent crude oil futures declined 2.2% to $103.52 a barrel during Asian market hours, after media reports that Saudi Arabia plans to expand crude oil shipments through Oman waters, using ship-to-ship transfers.
Tokyo finished in the green, while Hong Kong and Shanghai edged lower. Other regional exchanges were similarly mixed.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher and held ground, finishing up 0.3% as yields on Japanese government bonds mildly eased.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 213.25 to 64,136.25, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 182 to 41.
Leading the upside was Sumitomo Pharma, up 5.3%, while diversified manufacturer Mitsui Kinzoku declined 6.7%.
In economic news, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in August fell 9.6% on year to 3.10 million, reported the Japan National Tourism Organization.
The decline was led by a 59% on-year slump in August to 418,000 visitors from mainland China. Beijing-Tokyo relations were strained late last year when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks about militarily defending Taiwan from China, if necessary.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and could not recover, closing down 0.4% after the Hong Kong Monetary Authority raised its key policy interest rate by 0.25%, to match the Federal Reserve's Wednesday rate hike.
The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 109.49 to 24,604.29, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 56 to 37. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 0.3% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 1.1%.
Leading the upside was Weichai Power, gaining 5.4%, while Laopu Gold declined 3%.
On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.4% to 3,875.60.
On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI was steady; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 1%; the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.4%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.5%, and the Thai Set inclined 1.3%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was flat.
The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index rose 0.1% on the day.