Asian stocks continue to fall back as trade fears extend their stay, Chinese equities take a beating

• Trade concerns continue to be the overarching theme of the week, with a lack of developments keeping bulls on the sidelines.
• Further downside is being restrained at the moment as markets await further headlines to push sentiment in one direction or the other.

Equity indexes are continuing to lag as trade concerns sweep risk appetite out of broader markets, with Japan's Nikkei 225 back into the 22,300.00 level, familiar territory for the index as the confidence slump saps efforts to regain bullish momentum for Japanese equities.

Investor sentiment has continued to fizzle as equity traders settle in for the grim reality that a trade war showdown between the US and China shows no signs of slowing down, with China's President Xi Jinping urging regional ministers to prepare for a full-out fracas with the US.

Elsewhere, the US is pushing allies to cease importing Iranian oil this year, a move that sparked a surge in energies, but the positive figures in energy is more than offset by investor caution as confusion continues to be the hallmark of US trade policy, with the US now looking to tighten down on Chinese investment in US companies, though conflicting statements by key members of the Trump administration has left markets unsure of the White House's goals.

Australia's ASX is mostly flat on the day, up 0.05%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 is falling back about -0.25%, and China's main indexes continue to bear the brunt of the burden, with Shanghai's Composite down almost -0.50% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index in the red for nearly -0.60% on the day.

Nikkei levels to watch

Japan's key index continues to muddle in a rough range set by May's high and low, with boundaries established at 23,040.00 and 21,910.00 respectively, while the H4 candles show interim resistance sitting at the current week's high of 22,410.00 with support sitting at Monday's low of 22,040.00.