Asia opens mostly lower in tandem with Wall Street

Asian stock indices opened the second session of the week mostly lower with Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea lower, while New Zealand gained ground today. 

Earlier New Zealand data showed the business confidence index up to minus 40 from minus 63 in the second quarter. 

The Reserve Bank of Australia released its minutes of the October 6 meeting, at which the bank maintained rates at the record low of 0.25%. 

The People's Bank of China also maintained one-year rates at 3.85%, and five-year rates at 4.65% as expected. 

Democrats and Republicans remain in a tug of war over Covid relief, with the World Health Organization reporting 39.95 million global coronavirus cases so far, with the death toll standing at 1.11 million. 

Japan's TOPEX fell 0.39%, while Nikkei 225 declined 0.32% to 23,596. 

China's CSI 300 inched down 0.19%, while Shanghai slipped 0.50% to 3,296. 

Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.16% to 24,502, as South Korea's KOSPI fell 0.71% to 2,329. 

New Zealand's NZX 50 rose 0.40%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.60% to 6,192.