TOKYO – Asian shares were mixed on Monday as hopes for a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic with the global rollout of vaccines were countered by worries about inflation and continuing economic damage.
Benchmarks rose in Hong Kong and Japan but fell in South Korea and Australia. Investors remain focused on the future of global economies badly hit by COVID-19 and when and whether there will be enough stimulus to fix it.
But the U.S. $1.9 trillion economic package proposed by President Joe Biden also heralds hope for export-reliant regional economies.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.8% in morning trading to 30,250.83. South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.3% to 3,097.27. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was little changed, inching down less than