Stock market today: Asian shares mostly slip ahead of China-US meeting

Asian shares are mostly lower in muted trading as attention focuses on prospects for improved China-U.S. relations from meetings next week on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim summit. The APEC meetings in San Francisco offer an opportunity for leaders from the U.S. and China to mend troubled trade and political ties. Benchmarks fell in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai, but rose in Sydney. Oil prices fell. On Tuesday, gains in several Big Tech companies helped push some Wall Street shares higher. The majority of big companies have been topping estimates so far during this earnings reporting season.