This is CNBC's live blog covering Asia-Pacific markets.
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Tuesday, with Hong Kong stocks leading the declines and Japan's Nikkei 225 giving up gains from earlier in the session.
Trading sentiment was subdued following a pause in Wall Street's rally on Monday as its key indexes retreated from record highs.
Major economic data this week include China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index and the U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index data, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric.
Japan's Nikkei 225 traded 0.1% higher to close at 39,239.52. It had hit a record high in the previous session. The broader Topix index added 0.18% to close at 2,678.46.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was 0.13% higher, closing at 7,663. South Korea's Kospi edged 0.83% lower to end at 2,625.05, while the small cap Kosdaq fell 1.57% to close at 653.75.
China's CSI 300 index traded 1.2% higher to close at 3,494.79, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index inched up 0.69% in its last hour of trade.
Money Report
The S&P 500 retreated from record highs notched last Friday as investors awaited key inflation data.
The benchmark index fell 0.38%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.13%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 62.30 points, or 0.16%.
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— CNBC's Hakyung Kim and Tanaya Macheel contributed to this report.
Li Auto's shares surge over 20% following earnings result
Shares of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Li Auto surged over 22% to trade at 171.2 Hong Kong dollars per share, the highest since August 2023, according to data from LSEG.
On Monday, Li Auto reported an 2,068.2% increase in net income in the fourth quarter, compared to a year ago. Li Auto's total deliveries for 2023 also rose 182.2% from 2022 levels to 376,030 vehicles.
The company's shares were last trading 21.94% higher.
—Lee Ying Shan
Paytm shares rise after CEO exits payments bank board
Shares of Paytm owner One 97 Communications jumped 5% in early India trading on Tuesday, after the company's chief executive officer stepped down from the board of its payments bank unit.
The company said in a release late Monday that Vijay Shekhar Sharma would exit his role as a non-executive chairman and board member of Paytm payments bank in a major board overhaul.
Paytm's banking unit has been ordered by the Reserve Bank of India to stop accepting fresh deposits in its accounts or its digital wallet from March 15.
It's also reportedly being probed by the federal anti-fraud agency on possible violations of foreign exchange laws.
— Shreyashi Sanyal
Japan's January core consumer prices cool year-over-year
Data showed Japan's core consumer prices rose at a slower pace in January compared to a year ago.
Core CPI rose 2% in January from a year earlier. Japan's core consumer price index includes oil products but excludes fresh food prices.
The reading was still above a Reuters poll expectation of a 1.8% year-over-year increase.
The core CPI reading also matched the Bank of Japan's target of 2% inflation.
— Shreyashi Sanyal
CNBC Pro: This stock is even 'hotter' than Nvidia — and it's 'not that overpriced,' veteran investor says
Nvidia isn't the only star of the artificial intelligence boom — in fact, there's an even "hotter" one right now, according to Louis Navellier, chairman and founder of Navellier & Associates.
"They beat their guidance. And it's not in the S&P 500 right now. They'll probably be added," he said of the stock.
CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.
— Weizhen Tan
CNBC Pro: How to invest $100,000 right now, according to the pros
Equity markets have had a good start to the year, with the S&P 500 benchmark crossing 5,000 earlier this month and Europe's Stoxx 600 index hitting an all-time high.
Looking ahead, market consensus sees "a perfect combination of bullish factors," according to Wells Fargo Investment Institute's Paul Christopher — but he's not so sure.
As investors ponder how — and where — to invest in this uncertain climate, CNBC Pro asked market experts where they recommend allocating $100,000.
CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.
— Amala Balakrishner
Stocks making the biggest after-hours moves
These are some of the stocks making notable moves in extended trading:
- Zoom Video — The video-conferencing stock surged 11% following a better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings report.
- CarGurus — The online car retailer platform dropped 9% after providing poor guidance for the current quarter.
- Hims & Hers — The consumer-focused health platform jumped 15% after earnings and guidance topped Wall Street forecasts.
— Alex Harring
Crypto equities surge as bitcoin breaks through $54,000 for the first time since December 2021
Stocks tied to the price of bitcoin surged in late afternoon trading as the cryptocurrency shot above the $54,000 level for the first time since December 2021.
Coinbase rocketed higher by 17%, while Microstrategy jumped 16%. Riot Platforms and Marathon Digital, the largest bitcoin miners, soared 16% and 22%, respectively.
Most of the crypto market got a lift from bitcoin. Ether gained more than 2% to trade at $3,173.08. Solana and Cardano's ADA token advanced about 4% each, while Polygon's MATIC token rose 7%.
Bitcoin traded flat in the week leading up to Monday morning, when the breakout began and put it on track for a 27% monthly gain.
— Tanaya Macheel
