06:50 AM EDT, 10/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets were mixed in holiday- and typhoon-thinned trading Wednesday, on Middle East tensions and the outlook for economic stimulus from Beijing.

Exchanges in Mumbai and Shanghai were closed on holiday, while Taiwan trading floors shut down ahead of Typhoon Krathon.

Hong Kong rallied sharply but Tokyo finished in the red, as did most other regional exchanges.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower and declined to the close, finishing off 2.2% on a possible Iran-Israeli war and rising oil prices.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 843.21 to 37,808.76, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 187 to 35.

Leading the upside was oil-driller Inpex, up 4.4%, while electronics-components maker TDK declined 5.1%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher after a one-day holiday and rose to the close, finishing up 6.2% as traders again anticipated that Beijing monetary and fiscal stimulus would lower interest rates and lift China's struggling property-sector and economy.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 1,310.05 to 22,443.73, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 77 to five. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 8.5% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 14.9%.

Leading the upside was property developer Longfor, gaining 24.7%, while CK Infrastructure fell 1.6%.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 1.2%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.1%; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.1%, and the Thai Set declined 0.9%.