Philippine shares snapped a three-day losing streak on Tuesday, while Singapore fell for a fourth straight session on caution ahead of a central bank meeting on Friday in which it is expected to slightly tighten the monetary policy.
Sentiment was subdued in the region after the International Monetary Fund cut global growth forecasts for 2018 and 2019 and downgraded the outlook for the US and China, citing trade policy tensions.
Rising US Treasury yields also capped gains in equities, with nagging concerns over growth prospects affecting Chinese stocks despite Beijing's steps to support the economy and contain the effects of an escalating trade war.
Philippine shares ended higher, helped by the real estate and industrials sectors, with Ayala Land gaining 1.8 percent and SM Investments Corp adding 1.6 percent.
Singapore's FTSE Straits Times Index ended 0.5 percent lower, with Consumer shares dragging the city-state's index lower. Thai Beverage PCL fell 3.9 percent while DBS Group Holdings declined 0.8 percent.
Leading gains in the region, Indonesian shares rose for a second straight day, up 0.6 percent, as financials and telecommunication shares boosted the index.
Telekomunikasi Indonesia rose 2 percent while Bank Central Asia closed 1.3 percent higher.
Elsewhere, Thai shares closed marginally higher after five straight sessions of losses. Energy stocks PTT Exploration and Production and PTT PCL rose 2.1 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
Vietnam shares closed marginally higher, while the Malaysian index extended losses into a fifth session, falling 0.09 percent.
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