06:36 AM EDT, 07/15/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets finished mixed Monday, with traders mulling soft economic releases from Beijing against possibly easing global interest rates.

Hong Kong fell, Shanghai edged up, and Tokyo was closed on holiday. Other regional exchanges were uneven and muted.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and declined into the close, finishing off 1.5% after Q2 and June economic releases from Beijing again suggested sluggish growth and property sector softness.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 277.44 to 18,015.94 as losing issues outnumbered gainers 73 to nine. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 2.9% on the day while the Mainland Properties Index fell 2.8%.

Leading the upside was auto dealer Zhongsheng, gaining 3.1%, while internet services giant Baidu fell 5.6%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.1% to 2,974.01.

In economic news, mainland China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.7% on the year in the second quarter, slowing from a 5.3% year-on-year gain in the first quarter, reported the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Retail sales in China grew a modest 2.0% in June on the year while new home prices in 70 cities declined by 4.5% year-over-year in the month, added officials.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 0.1%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 0.2%; the Australian ASX 200 inclined 0.7%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.1%, and the Thai Set declined 0.1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.2%.