Asian shares open mixed

Asian shares opened Tuesday mixed amid thin trade as investors took to the sidelines before U.S. markets re-open later in the day
Markets in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong remained closed for an extended Christmas holiday and trading is expected to remain light.

Japan's Nikkei average opened down 0.43 per cent at 8,443, while South Korean stocks index gained 0.2 per cent as investors ignored negative economic data.

Singapore's STI index gained 0.1 per cent while Malaysia's KLCI index dropped 0.3 per cent.