Asian shares mixed after Wall St dips on weak economic data

Asian shares are trading mixed following a decline on Wall Street after reports on the U.S. economy came in weaker than expected. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell in afternoon trading, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 stood little changed. South Korea’s Kospi gained. Trading was closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Qingming Festival, a holiday. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6% and the Nasdaq composite lost a similar amount following weaker-than-expected reports on job openings and factory orders. That may reinforce forecasts that the economy could be headed for a recession.