Asian shares were mostly lower on Monday after Wall Street closed out a miserable September with a loss of 9.3%, the worst monthly decline since March 2020, the Associated Press reported. Tokyo rose while other regional markets declined. Shanghai was closed for China's weeklong National Day holidays. Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.6% to 26,100.68 after a Bank of Japan quarterly survey showed sentiment among manufacturers has darkened, reflecting rising costs, the weakening yen and lingering pandemic-related restrictions. The dollar was trading at 144.92 yen early Monday, up from 144.68 yen late Friday. The euro was at 97.91 cents, down from 97.96 cents. Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 1.3% to 16,995.98 and the Kospi in Seoul declined 0.4% to 3,118.11. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% lower to 6,466.70. Taiwan's Taiex lost 0.7% and Bangkok's SET declined 1%. In other trading Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil gained $2.15 to $81.64 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost $1.74 to $79.49 per barrel on Friday. Brent crude oil, the standard for pricing international oil, rose $2.21 to $87.35 per barrel.
