Chinese stock indices are rising today amid the publication of data indicating a gradual recovery of economic activity in the country in May after the easing of covid restrictions.

Chinese index Shanghai Composite by 8:25 Moscow time rose by 1.8%, Hong Kong Hang Seng – by 1.5%.

China’s industrial output rose 0.7% year-on-year in May after a sharp 2.9% drop in April, data from China’s State Statistics Office (SSO) showed.

The contraction in retail sales slowed to 6.7% last month from 11.1% in April. China’s unemployment rate fell to 5.9% in May from 6.1% a month earlier.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC, the country’s central bank) injected 200 billion yuan ($29.67 billion) into the financial system as part of its medium-term lending program (MLF). At the same time, the regulator kept the rate on loans for a year, issued under the MLF, at 2.85% per annum. In addition, the Chinese Central Bank provided banks with 10 billion yuan within seven-day reverse repo operations, the rate on these operations also remained unchanged at 2.1%.

The leaders of growth in trading in Hong Kong are the shares of online retailers Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (+4.7%) and JD.com Inc. (+4.6%), as well as China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd. (+4.5%).

Shares of Chinese automakers are also actively rising: Li Auto Inc. – by 7%, NIO Inc. – 15%, XPeng Inc. – by 8.1% and Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. – up 4.8%.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index was down 1.1% by 8:40 Moscow time.

Among the leaders of quotations decrease on Tuesday are the shares of energy Osaka Gas Co. Ltd. (-5%), steelmaker Kobe Steel Ltd. (-4%) and oil and gas Inpex Corp. (-3.8%).

South Korea’s Kospi index fell by 2.1%.

Stock prices of media company HYBE Co., which produces the popular boy-band group BTS, collapsed by 28% to the lowest since the placement, on the news that the members of BTS decided to temporarily disband the group and release songs on their own. Analysts at South Korea’s Hana Financial Investment then cut HYBE’s 2023 operating profit growth forecast by 54% and revenue by 32%.

The market value of automaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.6%, one of the world’s largest chip and consumer electronics makers Samsung Electronics Co. – plunged 2.6%.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.3%.

Stock prices of one of the world’s largest mining companies BHP fell by 0.4%. The price of securities of the manufacturer of materials for batteries Novonix Ltd. collapsed by 10.1%, software developer Megaport Ltd. – by 10.2% and mining company Chalice Mining Ltd. – by 7.8%.

Meanwhile, shares of casino operator and hotel chain Crown Resorts Ltd. are up 0.23% on news that an Australian court approved the company’s deal with Blackstone Inc.