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·       Asian stock markets were in a cautious mood on Thursday as investors hung on for any hint of progress in the latest Sino-U.S. tariff talks amid reports the White House could extend the deadline for a deal.

Bloomberg reported President Donald Trump was considering pushing back the deadline by 60 days, citing people familiar with the matter.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased 0.2 percent, though that was off a peak last seen in early October.

·       Investors can expect the "best" returns from Asian stocks in the first half of 2019 as negative sentiment from last year subsides, a J.P. Morgan strategist said on Thursday.

"We're expecting more upside in the first half ... I think the best part of the returns you'll have in Asian equities will be in the first half," Mixo Das, Asia equity strategist at J.P. Morgan, told CNBC's "Street Signs."

"At we get more clarity on the U.S.-China trade deal, China's growth bottoming out at some time in [the first] half, and the U.S. economy averting a recession in 2019 — all these things essentially will reinforce that risks are coming down and that's why equities are going to be going higher in the first half," he added.

But growth in company earnings could weaken in the second half of the year, partly due to disruptions on the trade front, which has started to hit economic activity worldwide, said Das.

·       Chinese shares were little changed on Thursday, though blue-chips gained, as doubts about sustainability of strong exports data countered optimism surrounding the Sino-U.S. trade talks.

The Shanghai Composite index cut losses to settle almost 0.1 percent lower at 2,719.70 points. The blue-chip CSI300 index gained 0.2 percent.

China’s exports unexpectedly returned to growth in January after a shock decline the previous month, while imports fell much less than expected. But seasonal factors played a big role and there could be renewed trade weakness ahead, said analysts.