Tokyo Nikkei 225 down 0.32%, S&P ASX 200 down 0.73% (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Tokyo , 08 Jul - Asian shares closed lower after Friday's mixed session. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slid 0.18%, slipping from a more than two-year high after climbing for a fifth straight month in June, when it rose more than 3%, its best performance since February.

The regional index was up 7% so far in 2024, hovering at its highest level since April 2022.

Investors awaited the US consumer price index reading due on Thursday to assess the Federal Reserve's interest rate path.

Traders also braced for central bank decisions from South Korea, New Zealand and Malaysia this week, although no changes are expected, according to a Reuters poll of economists.

Japanese shares retreated from near record highs hit last week, when recent data pointing to a weaker economy seemed to ease pressure on the Bank of Japan to increase interest rates, helping support sentiment.

In Australia, home loans unexpectedly shrank in May and housing finance activities also contracted.

Chinese shares led the losses in the region on lingering concerns over a trade war with the West.

Investors awaited China's inflation figures due on Wednesday for further clues on the state of the country's economic recovery.

The Nikkei index closed down 0.32% at 40,780 points, in Sydney the S&P ASX 200 closed down 0.73% at 7,765 points, while in Seoul the KOSPI closed down 0.15% at 2,857 points.

The Shanghai Composite index was down 1.08% at 2,918 points and the Hong Kong Hang Seng index was down 2.12% at 17,448 points. In Mumbai the Sensex index fell 0.17% at 79,858 points.

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(RADIOCOR) 08-07-24 09:04:43 (0142) 5 NNNN