Asian shares mixed, as China disappoints, gold bounces and yen falls

SYDNEY: Asian share markets endured mixed fortunes on Thursday in the wake of disappointing data on Chinese manufacturing, while investors showed renewed appetite for commodities as the new year got underway.

Gold grabbed the limelight with a 1.5% jump to US$1,223.46 an ounce, recouping just a little of the losses that made last year its worst in three decades.