Asia-Pacific markets were trading flat on the holiday-shortened and final trading day of the year, with subdued activity expected amid thin liquidity across the region.
Markets in Hong Kong and Australia were scheduled to close early for the holidays, while Japan and South Korea remained shut for the session, limiting overall trading volumes.
By 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was trading 0.2% lower.
In economic data, South Korea reported that consumer prices rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, broadly in line with median forecasts of a 2.3% increase.
Meanwhile, China’s economy ended the year on a firmer footing after factory activity expanded in December for the first time since March, with the official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rising to 50.1, beating expectations, while the composite PMI climbed to 50.7 and the non-manufacturing PMI increased to 50.2.
Overnight on Wall Street, major United States benchmarks finished slightly lower.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average eased 0.2%, the S&P 500 closed down 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.1%, as trading volumes thinned ahead of the New Year holiday.
In commodities, Brent crude oil added 0.3% to settle at US$61.33 per barrel, while spot gold edged up 0.2% to US$4,339.40 per ounce.
Chinese equities were mixed on Tuesday, with the Shanghai Composite closing flat at 3,965.1, while the CSI 300 rose 0.3% to 4,651.3.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index gained 0.9% to finish at 25,854.6, while India’s BSE Sensex ended little changed at 84,675.1.
European markets also traded within a narrow range. The UK’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.8% to 9,940.7, Germany’s DAX rose 0.6% to 24,490.4, and France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.7% to 8,168.2.
