Asian shares mostly decline ahead of watched US jobs report

Asian shares are mostly lower as investors await a much watched U.S. jobs for indications of how the recovery from the pandemic is faring

TOKYO -- Asian shares were mostly lower on Thursday as investors awaited a much watched U.S. jobs for indications of how the recovery from the pandemic is faring. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.4% to 28,707.04, while South Korea's Kospi lost 0.5% to 3,281.79. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.5% to 7,274.00. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.3% to 3,600.64. Trading was closed in Hong Kong for the anniversary of the handover of the former British colony to Beijing. The Bank of Japan's quarterly “tankan” survey showed continuous recovery, with large manufacturers' sentiment remaining largely positive despite the pandemic. The headline survey showed a rise to 14 from 5 in the previous quarter, but that was lower than expected, according to Robert Carnell, regional head of research Asia-Pacific at ING.