Asian stocks mixed as investors weigh US data

HONG KONG / AP

Asian stocks were uneven on Wednesday as investors weighed strong US economic reports against uncertainty
as Britain readies a formal request to leave the European Union.
Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was practically unchanged at 19,208.10 and South Korea’s Kospi rose less than 0.1 percent to 2,164.32. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 0.4 percent to 24,432.61 but the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.5 percent to 3,237.36. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.8 percent to 5,866.80.
The US economy, the world’s biggest, continues to strengthen, according to two data reports. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rose in March to its highest level since 2000, in an upbeat sign of consumer future expectations. Also, US home prices in January jumped at the fastest pace in nearly 2½ years because the tightening supply of houses for sale sparked bidding wars in many cities.
“While it’s possible that US consumer confidence may be tempered a little next month following the government’s failure to achieve its healthcare reforms, the latest figure indicates a high base for confidence which should help support consumption and US economic growth over coming months,” said Ric Spooner, chief analyst at CMC Markets.
British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan on Wednesday to trigger Article 50 of the European Union’s key treaty has sent the pound lower. The request will trigger two years of negotiations before the U.K can exit the EU, a move that’s divided Britain and leaves 3 million EU citizens living in the country worried about their future. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.7 percent to end at 20,701.50, turning in its longest slide in more than five years.