Asian markets ended mixed in light trading Friday, with Chinese stocks posting solid gains, led by coal producers on an upbeat price outlook.
Australian shares ended the year on a weak note, with BHP Billiton weighed down by speculation it may launch a bid for Anadarko Petroleum.
The Nikkei 225 index was off for a holiday, ending 2010 yesterday at 10,228.90
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged up 36.11 points, or 0.2%, to 23,035.40
Hong Kong and Singapore markets were on a half-day session, and the Sydney and Wellington bourses closed early.
In Sydney trading, BHP Billiton dropped 1.3% in the wake of a report in the U.K.’s Daily Mail that the mining giant may make a $90-U.S.-a-share bid for Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
Financial shares and some other miners also drifted lower in thin trade, but experts said there was no theme to the selling.
Shares of Australia & New Zealand Banking Corp. gave up 1.4% and Fortescue Metals Group shed 3.7%.
Financials pulled Taiwanese stocks higher on expectations of improved net interest margins after the central bank increased interest rates Thursday. Construction stocks also rose amid hopes a strengthened new Taiwan dollar would attract foreign property investors.
Cathay Financial Holding jumped 5.5% and Fubon Financial Holding Group rose 2.7%, while Huang Hsiang Construction Corp. surged 6.9%.
Shares in New Zealand drifted lower as investors took their lead from U.S. stocks’ weakness Thursday. The New Zealand dollar’s recent strength against its U.S. counterpart weighed on exporters with U.S. exposure, with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare losing 2.5%.
In foreign-exchange trading, the U.S. dollar extended losses against most major currencies in thin trading. The dollar was buying 81.41 yen against 81.56 yen in late New York trade Thursday, while the euro was changing hands for $1.3328 U.S. against $1.3286 U.S.
CHINA
Shanghai’s CSI 300 Index grew 64.16 points, or 2.1%, to 3,064.10
Chinese coal producers posted solid gains after Shanxi Xishan Coal & Electricity Power said it
will raise the price of some of its products from Saturday, which would increase its sales by around 1.3 billion yuan ($197 million U.S.).
Shanxi Xishan shares jumped 6.1%, with Yanzhou Coal Mining gained 4.4%.
In other markets
Taiwan’s Taiex Index gained 64.59 points, or 0.7%, to 8,972.50
Singapore’s Straits Times Index subtracted 22.42 points, or 0.7%, to 3,190.04
Korea’s Kospi Index had the day off, ending the year at 2,051
New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index moved lower 25.24 points, or 0.8%, to 3,309.03
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 45.20 points, or 0.9%, to 4,745.20
