SINGAPORE — Stocks in Asia Pacific were higher in Tuesday afternoon trade, as Japan released revised gross domestic product figures for the second quarter.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 advanced 0.8% in afternoon trade while the Topix index gained 0.69%.
Japan’s revised GDP figures for the April-June quarter showed the country’s economy shrinking an annualized 28.1%, according to second preliminary estimates released by the Cabinet Office. It was worse than preliminary estimates released in mid-August, which had shown the country’s economy shrinking 27.8% on an annualized basis in April-June.
Tuesday’s revised GDP figure compared with a median forecast for a 28.6% contraction by economists in a Reuters poll.
Following the data release, the Japanese yen traded at 106.21 per dollar after seeing an earlier low of 106.31 against the greenback.
The April-June period was “definitely the worst quarter” for the Japanese economy since World War II, according to Takuji Okubo, director for North Asia at The Economist Corporate Network. In the medium term, the Japanese economy is “on track to recovery,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Tuesday.
Still, Okubo said concerns remain over the pace of recovery to a level that “seems normal.”
Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index returned to positive territory as it gained 0.52%.
Shares of Chinese bottled water firm Nongfu Spring surged more than 80% from their issue price in their debut in Hong Kong. The stock later pared some of those gains, but was still trading more than 50% higher.
Mainland Chinese stocks edged higher, as the Shanghai composite added 0.77% while the Shenzhen component gained 0.126%.
South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.65%. Shares in Australia also saw gains, with the S&P/ASX 200 trading 0.79% higher.
Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index gained 0.51%.
Geopolitical tensions
Source: CNBC