The Shanghai Composite suffered a big drop once again, while traders await the outcome of the Greek parliament vote
Asian bourses were a mixed bag today. China's Shanghai Composite fell for a second straight session, dropping 3% on news the country posted a better-than-anticipated gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter. Following the mainland's lead, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave back 0.3%. Elsewhere, however, stocks managed modest gains. South Korea's Kospi picked up 0.7% amid strength in construction names, while Japan's Nikkei rose 0.4% as the Bank of Japan voted to stand pat on monetary policy.
In Europe, markets have edged higher ahead of the Greek parliament vote, with lawmakers weighing in on a slate of budget cuts and spending reforms necessary to secure bailout funds. In a Tuesday speech, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke out in favor of the deal with eurozone lenders. At last check, London's FTSE 100 had added 0.3%, while France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX had added 0.2% each.
