Japanese stocks reversed previous gains in the wake of the surprise Swiss move to scrap its franc-euro floor and as the yen climbed against the dollar.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index fell 244.54 points, or 1.4%, to 16,864.16, after Thursday’s 300-point-plus gain. The yen traded significantly higher against the U.S. dollar, up to ¥116.64, compared with ¥117.77 at the previous Tokyo market close.
For the entire week, the Nikkei posted a 1.9% decline, extending a three-week losing streak.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index lost Thursday’s gains, capsizing 247.39 points, or 1%, to 24,103.52
In other markets;
The Shanghai CS300 index gained 31.03 points, or 0.9%, to 3,635.15
The Kospi in Korea limped into the weekend with a loss of 26.01 points, or 1.4%, to 1,888.13
In Taiwan, the Taiex index retreated 26.80 points, or 0.3%, to 9,138.29
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index turfed 38.16 points, or 1.1%, to 3,300.68
New Zealand’s NZX 50 index dropped 25.33 points, or 0.5%, to 5,616.73
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 skidded 32.13 points, or 0.6%, to 5,299.24
