Asian markets ended mixed after a volatile session Tuesday, with several indexes oscillating between positive and negative territories a day after posting sharp losses in the previous two sessions.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 average slipped 0.1 percent to 16,249.63, unable to hold on to gains after rising as high as 16,353.93 during the session. The broader Topix index was little changed at 1,574.59.
Losers included Citigroup, which tumbled 6.6 percent one day after the largest U.S. financial institution debuted in Tokyo.
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. and Nichias Corp. both fell on news they had falsified fire-resistance data on construction materials they manufacture. Toy fell 16 percent and Nichias dropped 18 percent.
The Hang Seng Index ended 1.7 percent higher at 29,438.13, recovering some of the more than 1,500 points it lost Monday after China's premier suggested a delay to a plan to allow mainland Chinese investors buy Hong Kong stocks. The 43-issue Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, also unsettled through the day, gained 1.1 percent at 18,484.50.
Shares of Sun Hung Kai jumped 6.9 percent, while Cheung Kong soared 7.5 percent.
ELSEWHERE:
BANGKOK: Thailand's main stock index rose 1.5 percent to close at a session high of 886.31.
JAKARTA: Indonesia's main index rose 1.1 percent to 2,681.9 after the central bank left its key interest rate unchanged at 8.25 percent.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Composite Index rose 0.3 percent to 1,389.1.
MANILA: The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 0.03 percent to 3,773.6.
SEOUL: The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.9 percent to 2,054.2.
SHANGHAI: China's main stock benchmark fell Tuesday for the fourth straight session amid mounting worries over recently surging prices. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.7 percent to 5,536.6. The Shenzhen Composite Index edged up 0.2 percent to 1,379.7.
SINGAPORE: The Straits Time Index rose 0.4 percent to close at 3,683.1.
SYDNEY: The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index advanced 0.7 percent to 6,628.0.
TAIPEI: The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange fell 0.2 percent to 9,292.8.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand stocks edged lower, pulled down by export-dependent companies weakened by the strong local dollar. The benchmark NZX-50 index lost 0.14 percent to close at 4,135.4.
with files from other wire services
