Passengers walk at Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo
© Marco Bottigelli | moment | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets rose on Monday as investors assessed business activity in China for February and awaited economic data from Japan.
China's National Bureau of Statistics data showed that manufacturing activity expanded in March, with the PMI recording a reading of 50.8, compared to February's reading of 49.1.
Economists polled by Reuters expected a reading of 49.9, which still represents a contraction in the sector.
Separately, Japan's first-quarter Tankan survey showed that business optimism among major manufacturers declined, with the measure reaching +11 compared to +12 in the last survey.
However, optimism rose among non-manufacturers, with the Tankan index at +34 compared to +30 in the fourth quarter, beating the Reuters forecast of +33.
The survey measures business sentiment, which the Bank of Japan monitors when formulating monetary policy.
Japan Nikki 225 The Topix index rose 0.41% after the reading, while the broad-based Topix index fell 0.28%.
South Korea's Kospi rose 0.36%, and the small-cap Kosdaq rose 0.63%.
Australia and Hong Kong markets are closed for Easter.
On Good Friday in the US, February inflation rose in line with Dow Jones forecasts, with the PCE price index excluding food and energy rising 2.8% on a 12-month basis and 0.3% from last month.
Including volatile food and energy costs, the headline PCE reading showed an increase of 0.3% for the month and 2.5% for the 12-month average, compared with estimates of 0.4% and 2.5%.
— CNBC's Jeff Cox contributed to this report.
