SINGAPORE — Shares in Asia-Pacific were mixed on Monday morning as the first trading day of 2021 kicked off.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 dipped fractionally in early trading while the Topix index shed 0.31%.

South Korea’s markets are set to start trading an hour later than usual, with the opening time on Monday changed to 10:00 a.m. local time instead, according to a release by the Korea Exchange.

Stocks in Australia rose, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 0.86%.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan traded 0.14% higher.

On the economic data front, a private survey on Chinese manufacturing activity is expected to be released on Monday, with the Caixin/Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for December set to out be at around 9:45 a.m. HK/SIN.

China’s official manufacturing PMI released Thursday showed the country’s factory activity expanding in December, albeit at a slower pace compared to November’s reading.

Developments surrounding the coronavirus are likely to continue weighing on investor sentiment, as the pandemic rages on globally while vaccines have started being rolled out in some countries.

In Asia, officials in Japan are pondering whether to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and neighboring areas which have been hit by surging Covid cases, according to Kyodo News. Social distancing measures were also extended by health authorities in South Korea over the weekend, according to local news agency Yonhap, as the country also dealt with a recent jump in infections.

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 89.931 following its recent bounce from levels below 89.7.

The Japanese yen traded at 103.16 per dollar after strengthening from levels above 103.5 against the greenback last week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7712 following its rise in the previous trading week from levels below $0.765.

Oil prices were lower in the morning of Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 0.14% to $51.73 per barrel. U.S. crude futures slipped 0.16% to $48.44 per barrel.

What’s on tap:

• China: Caixin/Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index for December at 9:45 a.m. HK/SIN