Asia opens mostly higher

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

Earlier Japanese data showed industrial production up 8% m/m in July, beating estimates of 5%, while production fell 16.1% y/y, improving from 18.2% in June. 

Retail sales fell 3.3% m/m in July, compared to a 13.1% rise in June, while falling 2.8% y/y, missing estimates of a 1.7% fall. 

An index tracking consumer sentiment fell to 29.3 from 29.5, while housing starts fell 11.4% in July, improving from a 12.8% drop in June. 

Japan is still looking for a new prime minister after Shinzo Abe announced a surprise resignation for health reasons. 

Earlier Australian data showed the inflation indicator up 0.1% in August, slowing down from 0.9% in July, while corporate operational profits rose 15% in the second quarter, besting estimates of a 6% drop. 

Earlier Chinese data showed the manufacturing PMI up to 51 in July, while the services PMI rose to 55.2 from 54.2. 

From New Zealand, an index tracking business confidence fell to 41.8 from 42.8. 

Japan's TOPEX rose 1.83%, while Nikkei 225 rose 1.95% to 23,329. 

China's CSI 300 rose 0.71%, while Shanghai climbed 0.74% to 3,429. 

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rallied 1.19%, while South Korea's KOSPI inched down 0.24% to 2,348. 

New Zealand's NZX 50 slipped 0.73%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 inched up 0.01% to 6,074.