China's January-February economic data released Thursday disappointed to the downside, sending stocks lower. Industrial output for the period was up 8.6% from a year earlier compared to expectations for a 9.5% gain reported by Dow Jones Newswires. Retail sales were up 11.8% from the year-ago period, missing a forecast for a 13.5% gain. Urban fixed-asset investment rose 17.9%, trailing a projected 19.3% rise. Following the data, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index HK:HSI -0.35% swung from a 0.2% gain to a 0.2% loss, while the Shanghai Composite CN:SHCOMP +0.82% was 0.8% higher, trimming a 1% advance. Japan's Nikkei Stock ... (full story)