Hong Kong, mainland and regions markets opened lower on Thursday as initial euphoria over a two-week fragile ceasefire in the Middle ⁠East gave way to a more cautious market outlook.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index was 136 points, or 0.53 percent, down at 25,756.

The China enterprises index was 53 points, or 0.6 percent, lower at 8,623 while the tech index was 54 points, or 1.1 percent, lower at 4,868.

Up north, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index opened down 27 points, or 0.69 percent, at 3,967.

The Shenzhen Component Index was 114 points, or 0.81 percent, lower at 13,928 while the ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, was down 0.94 percent at 3,316.

In Tokyo, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average opened for trading 108 points, or 0.19 percent, down at 56,199.

In Seoul, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index opened down almost 46 points, or 0.78 percent, at 5,826.

Investor sentiment weakened after Israel launched its heaviest strikes yet on Lebanon on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people and prompting threats of retaliation from Iran. Tehran also signalled it would be "unreasonable" to continue negotiations for a permanent peace deal with the ⁠United States.

"Investors have ‌turned calm and started thinking if the peace talks will really work," said ‌Takamasa Ikeda, senior portfolio manager at GCI Asset Management.

"Oil prices rose again, and that weighed on the equities market." (Reuters & Xinhua)



Edited by Raymond Yeung