Asian stocks outside Japan fell for the first time in nine days after a private gauge of Chinese manufacturing dropped more than economists forecast.

The preliminary Purchasing Managers' Index from HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics was at 50.3 in August, trailing all 22 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey of economists and missing the 51.5 median forecast. The measure dropped from July's 51.7 and was at a three-month low. Numbers above 50 indicate expansion.

Japan's Topix index bucked the trend, climbing 0.9 percent.

China Shenhua Energy Co., the nation's biggest coal producer by market capitalization, declined 1.9 percent in Hong Kong.

Gambling firm Tatts Group Ltd. slumped 5.8 percent in Sydney after profit missed estimates.

Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co. jumped 3.4 percent in Tokyo after Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. advised buying shares of the semiconductor-equipment maker.

Nikkei 225 15,586.2 +131.75 +0.85%

Hang Seng 24,994.1 -165.66 -0.66%

S&P/ASX 200 5,638.86 +4.26 +0.08%

Shanghai Composite 2,230.46 -9.75 -0.44%