Asian markets end mostly lower on Tuesday

Asian markets ended mostly lower on Tuesday due to lack of direct cues from Wall Street overnight because the US markets were closed on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Japan’s Nikkei fell sharply on growing fiscal concerns and US President Donald Trump’s renewed tariff threats against European allies over Greenland. South Korea’s Kospi dropped as investors took profits in major chipmakers and automakers stocks. Chinese shares declined marginally after the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), Chinese central bank, announced to leave its Loan Prime Rates unchanged on Tuesday. The one-year and five-year LPRs were at 3.00% and 3.50%, respectively. Market sentiments weakened further as Chinese regulators cracked down on speculation and trading malpractice.