Asian markets eased off session lows to turn mixed on Thursday on concerns over domestic factors but optimism over monetary stimulus led Japan's Nikkei to snap a two-day losing streak.
The Nikkei eked out a last-minute gain of 1 percent, Sydney's S&P ASX 200 hit a one-week low on weak commodity prices and Seoul's benchmark closed up 0.1 percent to recover from a four-week low. Meanwhile, Shanghai and Hong Kong shares moved off earlier multi-month lows.
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Asian markets have under performed their U.S and European counterparts this month. The FTSE CNBC Asia 100 index is only up 0.6 percent since March, compared to a 2.8 percent surge in the blue-chip Dow Jones index and the London FTSE's 2.3 percent gain.
However, analysts tell CNBC that emerging markets in Asia still remain attractive. "The U.S. is a preferred option for most foreign investors but because of what Asia offers, we do think these flows will shift from west to east," said Catherine Yeung, Investment Director at asset manager Fidelity Worldwide Investment.