(RTTNews) - Asian stock markets are exhibiting a mixed trend on Monday with participants treading a cautious path due to renewed worries about the pace of economic recovery following disappointing jobs data from U.S. Though some of the markets in the region rebounded after a weak start, they are seen struggling to hold at higher levels due to lack of support.

In the Australian market, select materials, energy and technology stocks are trading higher, while financials and industrials are exhibiting weakness.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index, which fell to 4,592.6 in early trades, is currently up in positive territory at 4,605, with a gain of 3.3 points, or 0.1%. The broader All Ordinaries index is trading at 4,609, up 2.9 points, or 0.1%, over its previous close.

On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 index had plunged 99.4 points, or 2.11%, to 4,601.7 and the All Ordinaries index fell 95.9 points, or 2.04%, to 4,606.1 on renewed doubts about a global recovery following some weak economic reports from U.S.

Top miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are up 1.2% and 0.6% respectively. Among other stocks in the materials space, Newcrest Mining is up 2.3%, Orica is trading nearly 1% up and Lihir Gold is gaining 1.75%. Fortescue Metals and Bluescope Steel are trading modestly lower.

Energy stocks Woodside Petroleum, Santos and Origin Energy are trading with modest gains, while Oil Search is down in the red with a 1.2% loss.

Among bank stocks, Westpac Banking Corporation is down 1.2%, National Australia Bank is trading 1.4% down, ANZ Bank is declining by about 1.3% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia is trading modestly lower. Diversified financials Macquarie Group is down sharply by 3.6%.

AWB Ltd has announced that an appeal against a court ruling in its favour in the United States in relation to the Iraqi wheat kickbacks scandal has been dismissed. The appeal was brought by persons representing residents of the three northern governorates of Iraq. The plaintiffs had filed their appeal soon after the original case was dismissed in October 2008.

The class action had alleged that by reason of AWB's conduct during the United Nations oil-for-food program, AWB had depleted the UN oil-for-food escrow account, thereby unlawfully depriving the plaintiffs of the humanitarian benefits which those funds would have purchased for them. It had also alleged that AWB, BNP Paribas and CSC engaged in an illegal conspiracy. The AWB stock is currently trading nearly 2% down from its previous closing price.

Shares of HealthLinx Ltd are up nearly 8% following the company securing A$7.23 million to help it commercialise its ovarian cancer diagnostic, OvPlex, and to fund further trials of OvPlex. HealthLinx said on Monday that it had secured a A$7.23 million convertible note at zero interest, to be advanced over three years, from a New York-based institutional investor, SpringTree Special Opportunities Fund.

On the economic front, the number of job advertisements in Australia has increased for a second straight month in a further sign the economy has passed through the worst of the global downturn and is on the road to recovery. According to a report published by ANZ Banking Group, the number of jobs advertised in newspapers and on the internet rose 4.4% in September. It was the strongest pace of increase since December 2007 and followed a 4.1% improvement in August. Job ads had declined for 15 straight months between May 2008 and July this year.

In the currency market, the Australian dollar opened lower on Monday with demand for risk-sensitive assets falling on weak economic data from U.S. In early trades, the Australian dollar was quoting at US$0.8661-US$0.8665, down 0.32% from Friday's close of US$0.8689-US$0.8693. The Australian dollar is currently trading at 0.8731 to the U.S. dollar.

Besides renewed concerns about the pace of economic recovery, the yen's strength against the dollar also contributed to the weakness in the Japanese stock market. Despite staging a recovery of sorts after a weak start, the market drifted lower as investors chose to exit at higher levels.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Average, which recovered after a sharp fall, was up 4.76 points, or 0.05%, at 9,736.63 at the end of the morning session.

Automobile stocks Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor posted modest gains, while Suzuki Motor and Honda Motor were trading lower. Among bank stocks, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Resona Holdings and Mizuho Financial edged higher.

Steel and non-ferrous metals stocks were mostly trading lower at the break. Machinery and electric machinery stocks also exhibited weakness. Chemicals and pharmaceuticals stocks displayed a mixed trend.

Fast Retailing shares moved up over 15% after the company said late Friday that September same-store sales at its domestic Uniqlo casual clothing store chain soared 31.6% compared with the previous year.

Shares of retailer Aeon Co. declined on reports the firm likely booked a group net loss of 12 billion yen in the six months through August. Aeon had booked a 16 billion yen group net loss in the same period a year earlier.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar traded in the upper 89 yen zone early Monday in Tokyo after the Group of Seven financial chiefs agreed over the weekend to work together to ensure stability in the currency market. In early trades, the dollar fetched 89.68-89.71 yen against Friday's close of 89.75-89.85 yen in New York and 89.36-89.38 yen in Tokyo. The yen is currently trading at 89.78 to the U.S. dollar.

The South Korean stock market is trading weak with investors resorting to some heavy selling in technology and bank stocks. Oil and steel stocks are also seen exhibiting weakness.

The benchmark KOSPI index, which fell to 1,610 in early trades, recovered some lost ground on strong buying in automobile and shipbuilding stocks, but faltered again due to selling at higher levels. At 1,617, the KOSPI is currently down 28 points, or 1.8%, from its previous close.

Technology stocks Hynix Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and LG Display LCD are trading lower by 3%-4%.

Among bank stocks, Woori Finance is down 3%, Shinhan Financial is trading lower by about 2% and KB Financial is down with loss of 1.8%. However, Korea Exchange Bank is bucking the trend and trading higher by nearly 2%.

Among oil stocks SK Holdings is trading more than 2% down, and S-Oil is trading flat. KEPCO is falling by about 2.5%. In the steel space, POSCO is down nearly 2%, while Hyundai Steel is trading flat.

Automobile stock Hyundai Motor is up over 2% following the company reporting a sharp 22.2% jump in vehicle sales in U.S. in September. Kia Motor is up nearly 1%. However, Ssangyong Motor is down in the red with a 2.3% loss.

In the shipping space, Daewoo Shipbuilding is up 4.3%, Samsung Heavy Industries is trading higher by 3.5% and Hyundai Heavy Industries is up 1.7%. Bulk carrier STX Pan Ocean is trading with a gain of 1.4%. Airliners Asiana Airlines and Korea Airlines are trading weak. Telecom stocks KT Corp. and SK Telecom are also trading in negative territory.

Among other markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore is down sharply in the red, with its benchmark Strait Times Index falling 2.65%. New Zealand, Hong Kong and Taiwan are trading flat, while Indonesia is trading with a modest loss. Stock markets across the region closed notably lower on Friday.

On Wall Street, stocks posted modest losses on Friday with disappointing news on the labor market driving the day's selling pressure. The major averages were able to moderate their initial pullback but still closed lower for a fourth straight session.

The Dow fell 21.6 points, or 0.2%, to 9,487.7, the Nasdaq lost 9.4 points, or 0.5% to close at 2,048.1 and the S&P 500 drifted down 4.6 points, or 0.5%, to 1,025.2.

Major European averages also closed on the downside on Friday. U.K.'s FTSE 100 index ended 1.2% down, while the German DAX index and the French CAC 40 index lost 1.6% and 1.9% respectively.

Crude oil dropped below US$70 per barrel on Friday with disappointing jobs data leading to worries over energy demand. Light sweet crude oil for November delivery dropped to US$69.95 per barrel, down 87 cents on the session. Prices hit a low of US$68.74 after earlier reaching a high of US$70.90. Despite the loss, oil finished the week up about 6%.