TOKYO – Asian shares were mixed Monday as sentiment was shaken by the U.S. Federal Reserve's announcement that it would end some emergency measures put in place last year to help the financial industry deal with the pandemic.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.8% in morning trading to 29,248.90. South Korea's Kospi edged nearly 0.1% lower to 3,036.61.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.7% to 6,754.80. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.2% to 28,921.82, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.7% to 3,429.37.
In Tokyo trading, major stocks fell nearly across the board, including automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., whose earnings get a boost from a healthy U.S.