- MSCI Asia Pacific equities showed mixed trading after four straight weekly declines
- Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.45%, while Topix gained 0.32% on Monday
- South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.00%, Kosdaq declined 1.82% in early trading
Asian markets traded mixed on Monday after a volatile week, as investors await monetary policy decisions by key global central banks and a slew of corporate earnings.
MSCI Inc.'s Asia Pacific equities gauge swung between small gains and losses in after posting its fourth consecutive decline last week, the longest losing streak since April.
Japan's Nikkei 225 declined 0.45%, while Topix rose 0.32%. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.00% and the Kosdaq shed 1.82%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures indicated a flat opening.
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Among stocks, SoftBank Group shares rose 0.35%, Tokyo Electron stock price declined 3.24%, while Advantest share price fell 1.67%. South Korea's Samsung Electronic shares fell 0.70%, while SK Hynix shares gained 1.41%.
Investors will focus on key corporate earnings, as about 550 of the roughly 1,200 companies in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index are due to report their quarterly results this week, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That includes names such as Korean memory giants SK Hynix Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan will all announce their rate decisions this week.
Fed funds futures trading suggests a 90% likelihood that US Fed will hold interest rates at the current target range of 3.75% to 4% on Wednesday.
Crude oil prices eased, giving some respite to the market sentiment. Brent futures fell 1.39% to $115.10 a barrel while US West Texas Intermediate declined 1.75% to $101.46 per barrel.
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