Asian markets waver on mixed signals from China, Japan data

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Asian markets were mixed Thursday as China and Japan reported contrasting data on manufacturing and capital spending that provided mixed signals about the economic outlook.

ANALYST'S TAKE: "As the dog days of summer drew to a close, markets seemed to be steadily coming back into life yesterday, although not in the good way, more in the sell-off way," said IG market analyst Angus Nicholson.

An official monthly survey of factory managers, a barometer for manufacturing activity, came in at a better-than-expected 50.4 in August, on a 1-100 scale with 50 marking the break between contraction and expansion.

Today's data on capital spending showed a fall that broadly matched the drop in non-residential investment in the preliminary estimate of Q2 GDP.

U.S. stocks took small losses Wednesday as energy companies fell with the price of oil and chemical and materials companies traded lower.