Asian shares were mixed on Monday as a robust US jobs report was seen as positive for global growth even as it narrowed the odds on a rise in interest rates while oil edged higher after the United States and Iran attacked ships in the Gulf.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index inched up two points, or 0.01 percent, to open trading at 25,652 before reversing direction soon to be 239 points in the red in early trading.

The tech index opened down 11 points, or 0.26 percent, at 4,558 while the China enterprises index was six points, or 0.08 percent, lower at 8,548.

The Shanghai Composite Index opened up 12 points, or 0.32 percent, at 3,942.

The Shenzhen Component Index rose 88 points, or 0.65 percent, to 13,605 while the ChiNext Index was 39 points, or 1.21 percent, higher at 3,326.

The mixed start came as Tehran said it would announce a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in coming days after US forces hit three Iranian tankers and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.

As a result, Brent added 0.2 percent to reach US$96.45 a barrel, having climbed almost 10 percent last week while US crude rose 0.4 percent to US$91.85 a barrel.

That inflationary impulse raises the stakes for a key reading of US consumer prices this week and is a major reason the European Central Bank is seen as certain to lift rates to 2.75 percent on Thursday.

Futures also imply a 75 percent chance of another hike to three percent by December.

On Wall Street, a US holiday kept turnover light with both S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures a fraction lower.

A key focus this week is the US August consumer price index report on Friday where median forecasts are for a rise of 0.2 percent in the core, with a risk of 0.3 percent.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei opened 579 points, or 0.89 percent, at 65,600 before tripling gains to be 1,647 points higher at one stage before lunch as chip-related shares tracked US peers ending higher last week.

In Seoul, the Kospi was 199 points higher at one stage before noon after surging 223 points, or 3.34 percent, to open trading at 6,910, driven by chipmakers on optimism around strong demand for AI investments while the won hit a near two-year high amid expectations of continued dollar selling by major exporters. (Reuters/Xinhua)




Edited by Tony Sabine