BANGKOK (AP) — A slowdown in U.S. factory activity kept gains modest in Asian stock markets Tuesday, while Japan’s Nikkei slipped as the yen rose against the dollar.

U.S. manufacturing expanded more slowly in March than February, the Institute for Supply Management said Monday, held back by weaker growth in production and new orders. Still, sentiment remained fairly resilient following the release Monday of reports showing that manufacturing picked up in China and that business sentiment improved in Japan last month.

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