Tokyo bounced back into life after Monday’s holiday while China and Hong Kong stocks were forced to work hard for small gains

Many investors remained on the sidelines ahead of key data announcements out of both China and the US this week

Markets took their cue from an overnight rally on Wall Street after a bigger-than-expected drop in US unemployment claims calmed investors' nerves

Japanese equities came under pressure again as domestic chip stocks followed an overnight slide on Wall Street

Indexes across the region recovered more of their Monday losses as an air of calm returned to trading floors

The Nikkei in Japan suffers its biggest ever one-day loss, plummeting by a whopping 13%, while Taiwanese and Korean shares both sank by more than 8%.

Japan’s benchmark index endured a bruising day, seeing its biggest daily percentage fall in more than four years

China’s manufacturing activity shrank for the first time in nine months in July while Japan’s currency peaked at a four-month high

Japan’s surprise rate hike fuelled a banking and tech stocks rally while hope of more stimulus from Beijing boosted Hong Kong shares

Hong Kong's benchmark saw the biggest losses in Asia with China's Politburo meeting announcing no new detailed efforts to boost the world's second-biggest economy

Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Facebook-parent Meta Platforms report this week while central banks in the US, UK and Japan also meet

Faster-than-expected second-quarter growth in the US lifted the mood on most trading floors though there was also a post-typhoon Taiwan drag