Mumbai, Feb. 19 -- Asian stocks ended mixed on Wednesday amid lingering tariff concerns and tense Russia-Ukraine negotiations.

The U.S. dollar held firm, and gold hovered near record levels while oil extended gains for a third straight session amid worries of oil supply disruptions in the U.S. and Russia.

Japanese markets ended slightly lower after the release of mixed economic data, with exports rising 7.2 percent year-on-year in January while core machinery orders, a key indicator of capital spending, unexpectedly declined in December.

The Nikkei average dipped 0.27 percent to 39,164.61 as policy board member Hajime Takata called for gradual rate hikes to mitigate the risk of rising prices and financial market overheating. The broade...