Asia opens mixed as RBA decides on policy

Asian stock indices opened the second session of the week mixed with China, Australia, and New Zealand higher, while Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea lost ground. 

Optimism is cautiously returning to markets about recovery led by government stimuli around the globe, and ahead of the earnings season. 

Earlier New Zealand data showed the business confidence index down to 63 from 70. 

Australia's services index fell to 31.5 from 31.6 in May, while the Reserve Bank of Australia voted today to maintain the cash rate at the record low of 0.25% as expected. 

Earlier Japanese data showed household spending fell 16.2% in May, compared to a 11.1% tumble in April, while Leading Indicators rose to 79.3 from 77.7 in April.  

The World Health Organization reported last Sunday over 200,000 cases worldwide in a single day, a record high, with the death toll surpassing 532,000. 

Japan's TOPEX fell 0.48%, while Nikkei 225 shed 0.56% to 22,587. 

China's CSI 300 rose 1.61%, while Shanghai gained 1.15% to 3,371. 

Hong Kong's Hang Seng inched down to 26,335, while South Korea's KOSPI slipped 0.16% to 2,184. 

New Zealand's NZX 50 rose 0.56%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.82% to 6,064.