Japanese shares fell on Thursday, underperforming the rest of the Asian region, while Hong Kong and Australian stocks staged a mild advance.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Index retreated 78.88 points, or 0.8%, to 9,588.38
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index vaulted another 214.28 points, or 1%, to 20,995.
Europe-focused exporters losing ground included apparel firm Esprit Holdings Ltd., down 1.2% in Hong Kong, and Honda Motor Co., down 0.9% in Tokyo.
Japanese-listed commodity firms also declined, after oil prices fell below $103 U.S. a barrel in New York on Wednesday following data that showed oil supplies rose by more than expected for a fourth week.
Shares of JX Holdings Inc and Inpex Corp. both lost 0.8%.
But commodity-linked firms advanced in Hong Kong, with Cnooc Ltd. up 1.6%, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. ahead by 1.7%, and PetroChina Co. rising 1.2%.
Energy firms also advanced in Australia, boosted by production reports. Woodside Petroleum Ltd. rose 1.4%, and Santos Ltd. climbed 0.3%, after reporting sharp revenue gains of 20% and 50%, respectively.
Both firms reported production figures earlier this week. On Thursday, BHP Billiton Ltd. climbed 1.1%, while Rio Tinto Ltd. rose 0.2%.
In South Korean trading, techs were mostly weaker, tracking U.S. losses for the sector, with LG Electronics Inc. falling 2.5%, though heavyweight Samsung Electronics Co. managed a 1.1% rise.
In the Japanese technology sector, Hitachi Ltd. gained 2.5% after the Nikkei reported that the company would be helping Russia improve its electric grid.
Nippon Sheet Glass Co. dropped 6.9% after its chief executive officer resigned on strategy grounds, according to reports.
In other markets;
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 Index slid 3.85 points, or 0.2%, to 2,596.06
Korea’s Kospi Index stumbled 4.67 points, or 0.2%, to 1,999.86
The Taiex index in Taiwan gained 17.69 points, or 0.2%, to 7,622.69
Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 7.63 points, or 0.3%, to 3,008.21
New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index picked up 2.43 points, or 0.1%, to 3,525.19
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index progressed 14.07 points, or 0.3%, to 4,362.73
