05:35 AM EST, 11/21/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets tracked moderately lower Thursday after the overnight release of chipmaking and AI colossus Nvidia's earnings underwhelmed investors.

Hong Kong and Tokyo finished in the red, also reflecting a moderate regional earnings season overall, while most other regional exchanges similarly concluded lower.

Shanghai bucked trends to edge higher.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower on Nvidia cues and could not recover, finishing off 0.8% as a stronger yen undercut export issues.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 326.17 to 38,026.17, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 159 to 65.

Leading the upside was utility Tokyo Gas, up 4.9%,while heavy-machinery maker IHI declined 3.9%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower, wobbled, and finished down 0.5% as traders again backed away from property and tech issues, and mulled a tempered earnings season.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 103.90 to 19,601.11, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 55 to 23. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 1.2% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 1.1%.

Leading the upside was BYD Electronic, gaining 5%, while Chow Tai Fook declined 4.3%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.1% to 3,370.40.

On the other regional exchanges, the South Korean KOSPI fell 0.1%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 0.6%; the Australian ASX 200 was steady; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.1%, and the Thai Set declined 1.5%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.5%.

In other news, Bank Indonesia held its key policy rate unchanged at 6%, citing robust economic expansion, but moderate inflation.