Sydney — Asian stocks dipped on Monday as investors braced for a bevy of earnings from the world’s largest corporations, while keeping a wary eye on US bond yields as they approach peaks that have triggered market spasms in the past. Traders were also anxiously awaiting surveys on global manufacturing for April to see if economic softness in the first quarter was just a passing phase linked to poor weather and the Lunar New Year holidays. The first reading from Japan was tentatively upbeat with its purchasing managers index (PMI) firming to 53.3 in April as output and domestic demand picked up. On the geopolitical front, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday the North Korean nuclear crisis was a long way from being resolved, striking a cautious note a day after the North pledged to end its nuclear tests. Oil prices edged down in early trade but were not far from their highest since late 2014. The market had wobbled on Friday when Trump tweeted criticism of Opec’s role in pushing ...
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