Easing Oil Prices Boost Asian Markets Amid Ongoing Currency Intervention Debate

Asian shares were mixed on Tuesday following a rally on Wall Street that was helped by easing oil prices. The region's investors were still weighing the impact from last week's joint U.S.-Japan currency intervention.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3% to 63,585.58 as the U.S. dollar inched up to 157.51 Japanese yen from 157.18 yen. The euro cost $1.1511, little changed from $1.1514.

The dollar was trading at 160-yen levels before regulators stepped in to boost the yen's value after it fell to nearly 40-year lows. Some analysts said the effectiveness of such an intervention remains uncertain as it doesn't address the fundamental economic reasons behind the currency fluctuations, including inflation, interest rates and the relative strengths of the economies.

The S&P/ASX 200 added 1.2% to 9,129.00, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.5% to 25,881.99. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.2% to 3,802.61.