Asia shares mixed, dollar steady ahead of U.S. inflation

Asia shares mixed, dollar steady ahead of U.S. inflation

HONG KONG: Asia's share markets were mixed and the dollar held steady on Tuesday, with investors awaiting U.S inflation data for more clues on when the Federal Reserve will taper stimulus. China's tightening grip on its technology companies and a widening liquidity crisis for the country's most indebted developer continued to keep investors on edge in early trade. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.13%. Australia's S&P/ASX200 fell 0.31% to 7,400.8, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index .HSI dipped into negative territory. China's blue-chip index was down 0.2% and Tokyo's Nikkei traded 0.72% higher. In Hong Kong, shares of developer China Evergrande Group slumped after revealing it had appointed financial advisers to examine its capital structure. The company also said sales would fall again in August due to concerns over its debt which would hurt its liquidity and cash flow. Its shares dropped 7%. China's technology stocks are also being closely scrutinised after authorities told the country's tech giants to stop blocking each other's links on their sites. The directive was the latest in a string of tightening regulations that has dragged down the Hang Seng Tech Index .HSTECH by nearly 40% since its peak this