Japanese shares ended lower Wednesday, dragged down by declines in Advantest Corp. and other semiconductor-related shares on concerns falling DRAM and flash-memory chip prices could hurt earnings.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index lost 114.54 points, or 0.66 percent, to finish at 17,292.32 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 24.49 points, or 0.1 percent, to 20,679.69.
Traders said many investors were awaiting market-moving events, including Japanese machinery orders for December, due Friday, and the weekend meeting of Group of Seven financial leaders in Germany.
Prices sagged as blue chip issues slumped, with steel and high technology issues leading the losses.
Advantest Corp. plunged 4.05 percent to 5,450 yen (US$45.42) on concerns about near-term orders for its chip-making equipment. Canon Inc. shed 1.77 percent to 6,120 yen (US$51).
Retailers and banking stocks also dropped, with Isetan Co. sinking 6.37 percent to 2,130 yen (US$17.75) and Resona Holdings Inc. falling 0.90 percent to 329,000 yen (US$2,741.67).
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thai shares rose 0.3 percent to close at 675.33, on scattered gains in blue chips amid thin trade.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares ended 0.2 percent higher at 1,764.91, helped by news that the central bank cut interest rates Tuesday.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian shares gained, led by foreign funds' buying into banking, construction, plantation stocks and select heavyweights. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index added 0.6 percent to 1,243.57.
MANILA: Philippine shares slid for the second straight session as investors locked in recent gains. The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 39.58 points, or 1.2 percent, at 3,232.39.
MUMBAI: Indian shares ended at a record high, cheered by a government forecast of 9.2 percent economic growth for the current financial year -- the fastest pace in 18 years. The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-stock Sensitive Index, or Sensex, rose 164.94 points, or 1.1 percent, to end at 14,643.13.
SEOUL: South Korean shares fell, snapping a four-day rally, led by losses in banks and shipbuilders. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 2.29 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,426.29.
SHANGHAI: Chinese stocks surged on renewed buying of banks and other index heavyweights by institutional investors. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.5 percent to 2,716.18. The Shenzhen Composite Index jumped 1.9 percent to 666.96.
SINGAPORE: Singapore's shares rose to a new record high, led by property and banking stocks. The benchmark Straits Times Index gained 13.35 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 3,236.6.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares fell slightly on profit-taking in the tourism sector. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange dropped 25.69 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,850.06.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand stocks closed at a record high, spurred by bellwether Telecom Corp. which recovered some recent losses in a positive market. The benchmark NZX-50 index surged 63.03 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,211.61.
SYDNEY: Australian shares hit record highs, buoyed by a strong performance from the world's largest miner, BHP Billiton. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 29.3 points, or 0.5 percent, to 5,899.8.
With files from wire services
