DHAKA: Shares in Asia were mostly lackluster on Thursday as investors continued to worry about a possible rate rise in the US and an ongoing slowdown in China.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was flat, down 0.02% at 19,687.01 despite some better-than expected economic numbers.

Japan’s core machinery orders rose by 7.5% in September from a month earlier - the first rise in four months.

Machinery orders are seen as an indicator of company spending, reports the BBC.

On a year on year basis, the country's machinery orders fell 1.7% in September compared to forecasts for a drop of about 4%.

Analysts said the numbers were better than expected but that they still reflected the ongoing slowdown in China, one of Japan's most important trading partners.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index recovered earlier losses by mid morning and edged up 0.02% at 5,123.40.

Investors will be watching the index through the day after job numbers released for October showed the country’s unemployment number falling to 5.9% from 6.2% a month earlier.

Analysts said the numbers were strong and would be likely to give a boost to investor sentiment.

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index was flat, down just 0.08% at 1,995.59 in mid morning trade after the Bank of Korea kept its interest rate on hold.

Among other businesses and government offices, the stock market opened an hour later than usual on Thursday as the country marked students sitting their all-important college entrance test.

In China, markets were mixed, with the Shanghai Composite down 0.74% at 3,623.35 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng benchmark index up 0.69% at 22,506.76.

BDST: 1321 HRS, Nov 12, 2015
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