Japan's GDP contraction leaves Asian-Pacific markets mixed

Shares were mixed Thursday on Asian-Pacific markets, as traders responded to a larger-than-expected drop in Japan's gross domestic product. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.4%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.3% and South Korea's Kospi Composite dropped 1.9%. New Zealand's NZX 50 rose 0.3%, China's Shanghai Composite slid 0.5%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.7% and Taiwan's Taiex fell 0.6%. In afternoon trading, India's Sensex and Indonesian shares climbed 0.4%, Singapore's Straits Times Index advanced 1% and Thailand's SET edged down 0.2%. Full story here