Investors were lifted by positive factory data out of China but remained distracted by worries over which way the US Fed will jump next in its fight with inflation

Investors cashed in on Tuesday after a recent rally as markets readied for more interest rate rises in the US

Investors were restrained on Monday with all eyes on this week’s US Federal Reserve meeting and earning announcements from several tech giants

Investor mood was boosted by consumer spending data from the United States and bets the Fed will slow down its rate hike programme

Hong Kong was playing catch-up after a three-day Lunar New Year break while Tokyo was edgy ahead of the latest GDP figures out of the States

Tokyo’s benchmark index hit a one-month high with investors in positive mood ahead of a big earnings week in the US

Japan’s indexes followed in the slipstream of US markets which were buoyed by Fed chiefs signalling that inflation was cooling

Investor mood was boosted by Beijing’s claims it was winning its war with Covid but fears of a global slowdown continue to cast a shadow

Japan’s strengthening currency weighed on exporters – and investors – while worries over a worldwide slowdown intensified

Chinese indexes saw an unspectacular day ahead of the week-long Lunar New Year break while Japan stocks were boosted by its central bank’s latest decision

Gloomy growth figures out of China brought down the mood on the region’s trading floors though a cooling yen boosted sentiment in Japan

Traders were betting on China bouncing back from its Covid nightmare this year but a soaring yen is ramping up the pressure in Japan