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Hong Kong - Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday following another heavy selloff on Wall Street with technology stocks taking a beating, while a stronger yen added to downward pressure on Japan's Nikkei.
Eyes are also on a news conference by the head of the Bank of Japan after its latest policy meeting, its first since a controversial tax rise took effect at the start of the month.
Tokyo sank 1.36% to 14 606.88 points and Sydney was down 0.06% at 5 410.6, while Seoul added 0.17% to close at 1 993.03.
Hong Kong added 0.98% to 22 596.97 points while Shanghai surged 1.92% to 2 098.28 on hopes that Beijing will soon unveil measures to kickstart China's economy after last week's mini-stimulus.
All three main indexes in New York suffered a third straight session of losses on Monday as big-name tech firms, which had helped last year's rally, suffered selloffs on concerns they are overvalued. Among the US losers on Monday were Apple, Yahoo, Google and LinkedIn.
Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in the United States, said there was also "a little anxiety before earnings" season kicks off this week.
On Wall Street the Dow sank 1.02%, the S&P 500 slipped 1.08% and the tech-rich Nasdaq fell 1.16%.
Asian tech stocks followed their US peers lower, with Sony off 1.36% and Sharp losing 3.68% in Tokyo.
In Seoul Samsung was off 0.21% with added downward pressure coming from its forecast of a decline in operating profit for the second straight quarter year-on-year.
The yen edged up against the dollar as traders looked for safer bets, while it was given an extra boost by data showing Japan had posted its first current account surplus in five months in February.
The dollar was at ¥102.67 in the afternoon in Tokyo, against ¥103.09 late in New York.
The euro bought ¥141.21 and $1.3752, compared with ¥141.65 and $1.3740.
There was little movement after the Bank of Japan said it would hold off announcing any fresh monetary easing measures, as expected.
Investors are awaiting comments by governor Haruhiko Kuroda at a news conference later in the day to see what he has to say about the economy after the 8.0% sales tax came into force on April 1.
On oil markets New York's main contract West Texas Intermediate for May delivery rose 92 cents to $101.36 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for May gained 56c to $106.38.
Gold fetched $1 309.64 an ounce at 10:07, up from $1 300.91 late on Monday.
