Asian Daily Market Analysis by XTrade

With Japan's Nikkei closed for a national holiday, Asian markets opened the week neutral in lethargic action. Investors are closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine, with some hoping for a potential cease-fire and Chinese officials offering to help de-escalate the crisis. Crude oil is increasing once further, and investors are anxious that Russia could fail to make bond interest payments later this week.

The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia is up little than 0.1 percent, with the top four banks mixed. ANZ stock is up 0.3 percent, NAB stock is down 0.8 percent, Commonwealth Bank stock is up less than 0.1 percent, and Westpac stock is down 0.3 percent. The market is being supported by the major miners, with BHP up 0.8 percent and Rio Tinto up 0.4 percent.

Mainland The benchmark Shanghai Composite is up less than 0.1 percent on the day, while the smaller-cap Shenzhen Composite is up 0.7 percent. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong is up 0.1 percent.

South Korea's Kospi is down 0.4 percent, while Taiwan's Taiex is up 0.6 percent.

Southeast Asian markets are split, with Singapore's Straits Times Index rising 0.1 percent and Malaysia's KLCI down 0.5 percent.