Japanese stocks ended moderately higher on Friday, gaining for the third straight session as investors looked beyond weaker consumer-price data to a rebound in industrial production.
Japan's Nikkei 225 Average rose 47.45 points, or 0.29 percent, to end the week at 16,321.78 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 269.66 or 1.4 percent, to 18,690.82.
Investors cheered news that the nation's core consumer price index rose 0.1 percent in October from a year earlier, marking a fifth-straight month of gains, though the figure was below economists' forecast of 0.2 percent.
The government also said the unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent for October from 4.2 percent in September.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thai shares edged up 0.3 percent to 741.38 points, led by energy blue chips amid generally higher global oil prices in the past few sessions.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares rose to a fresh all-time record high, led by benign November inflation which raised hope that the local central bank would cut its benchmark interest rate next week. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite index advanced 15.79 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,734.75.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian shares slipped 0.1 percent to 1,080.11 as late bargain hunting in blue chips helped narrow losses.
MUMBAI: Indian shares rose to a new record as car makers gained sharply, helped by strong November sales. The Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark 30-stock Sensex rose 148.47 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 13,844.78.
SEOUL: South Korean shares inched up, as news that Chinese steel maker Shanghai Baosteel Group Corp. may ask Posco to buy its shares buoyed the Korean company's stock, The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, moved up 2.15 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,434.36.
SHANGHAI/SHENZHEN: The Chinese yuan rose to a fresh high against the U.S. dollar, capping a week of gains and boosting share prices to a five-year high in Shanghai. The dollar was at 7.8300 at around 0740 GMT Friday on the over-the-counter market, down from Thursday's close of 7.8334. The Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.1 percent to 2,102.05, its highest closing level since July 25, 2001, when it ended at 2,112.25. The Shenzhen Composite Index rose 0.9 percent to 500.34.
SINGAPORE: Singapore shares dipped on cautious trading, but traders said the market uptrend is likely to continue over the next few weeks. The benchmark Straits Times Index declined 2.49 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,836.04.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares rose slightly to reach a new six-year high on strength in construction and land issues. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange climbed 45.85 points, or 0.6 percent, to 7,613.57, its highest closing level since finishing at 7,785.62 on Sept. 5, 2000.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand shares lost ground, as U.S. markets declined. The benchmark NZX-50 index dropped 9.3 points, or 0.24 percent, to 3,854.41.
SYDNEY: Australia's share market fell, with finance stocks under pressure as investors braced for weaker near-term performances on Wall Street. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index dropped 54.2 points, or 1 percent, to 5,427.9.
With files from wire services
