HONG KONG: Asian equities were mixed Tuesday as investor attempts to track gains in New York are weighed by a perfect storm of issues that have hammered global markets, while the pound remained stuck around 20-month lows on Brexit uncertainty.
Bargain-buyers tried to step in after the latest sell-off but were unable to gain traction, with fears about the outlook for the global economy keeping sentiment beaten down. The China-US trade row, signs of softness in both countries’ economies, the Huawei arrest, Brexit, demonstrations in France and tanking oil prices are among the problems facing investors, and analysts warned of more volatility to come.
Adding to those problems is upheaval in India – another crucial economy – where the head of the central Reserve Bank of India has resigned following a row with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration over alleged government interference. Monday’s development sent the rupee, which was already Asia’s worst-performing currency,  tumbling more than one percent Tuesday, with speculation the RBI had intervened to pare the losses. The  Mumbai stock market initially fell a similar amount before bouncing back.
Global risk sentiment “is facing a towering wall of worry as virtually every major economy in the world is slowing, suggesting the synchronized global slowdown is accelerating at a much faster pace than thought,” said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA. In Asian trade, Hong Kong rose 0.2 percent and Shanghai gained 0.4 percent but Tokyo shed 0.3 percent. Singapore slipped 0.3 percent, Seoul was marginally lower and Sydney rose 0.4  percent. Bangkok and Jakarta slipped, while Wellington, Manila, and Taipei were up.