06:41 AM EDT, 09/09/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were choppy on Tuesday, as traders awaited possible interest-rate cuts by major central banks, and weighed values after recent bull moves.

Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the red, while Hong Kong gained ground. Other regional exchanges were similarly mixed.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher on Wall Street cues and struck fresh all-time intra-day trading highs, but slumped in the afternoon, finishing off 0.4% as traders booked profits.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 184.52 to 43,459.27, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 149 to 74.

Leading the upside was semiconductor-test equipment maker Advantest, gaining 6.5%, while Mitsui Mining & Smelting declined declined 6.7%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher and held ground, closing up 1.2% on expectations for a rate-cut when the Federal Reserve meets in policy session Sept. 16-17.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority pegs its policy interest rate to that of the US central bank, while the People's Bank of China might also lower rates to prevent excessive appreciation of mainland China's currency, the yuan.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 304.22 to 25,938.13, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 60 to 26. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 1.3% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 3.3%.

Leading the upside was Alibaba Health Information Technology, gaining 10%, while Wuxi Biologics declined 3.4%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.5% to 3,807.29.

In other news, China-based Unitree Robotics may seek a market capitalization of $7 billion in a pending initial public offering (IPO), reported Reuters. The company's robots have exhibited displaying human-like capabilities, such as walking, climbing and carrying loads.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 1.3%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 1.3%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.6%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.2%, and the Thai Set inclined 0.8%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.4%