The major Asia-Pacific stock metrics.........>

STOCKS: The major Asia-Pacific stock metrics struggled for cohesive direction on

Wednesday.

- The Nikkei 225 was the outperformer, supported by the stronger than expected

headline earnings results from U.S. tech giant Apple, with Wall St.'s positive

lead also lending support.

- The Hang Seng & mainland Chinese bourses traded around neutral levels at the

lunch break, with questions re-emerging re: the ratcheting up of U.S. tariffs on

Chinese goods.

- Australia's ASX 200 also hovered around unchanged levels, as the financial

sector provided the most weight, while the materials sector outperformed.

- U.S. index futures were mixed after coming under pressure on the

aforementioned latest round of U.S.-China trade headlines, which came after a

move higher on the back of Apple's earnings report.