Asian stocks closed on a mixed note Friday, with Hong Kong rebounding strongly after two declining sessions to emerge as the best performer at week's end.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 ended 0.2 percent lower at 17,065.04, while the broader Topix index inched up 0.1 percent to 1,656.91. The Japanese stock markets will be closed Monday for a holiday.
Technology stocks were weak in Toyko, dragged down as shares of Casio Computer plummeted 19.1 percent. Casio lowered its full-year earnings forecast, and Credit Suisse downgraded the stock to underperform from neutral on the revised outlook.
Other technology stocks trading lower included Advantest Corp., down 4.6 percent, and Kyocera Corp., off 0.5 percent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index finished 3.2 percent higher at 27,831.52, recovering most of its losses from the previous two sessions. The 43-issue Hang Seng China Enterprises Index performed even better, soaring 4.9 percent to 17,540.02.
Shares of HSBC rank among the biggest underperformers among the Hang Seng constituents, adding less than 6 percent in 2007 to date -- as compared with gains of nearly 40 percent for the benchmark index during the same period.
ELSEWHERE:
SEOUL: South Korea's Kospi declined 0.4 percent to 1,994.90, turning lower after rising as high as 2,009.68 earlier in the session.
MUMBAI: India's Sensex was 0.5 percent higher at 17,872.37 in late afternoon trading. The 30-stock index declined Thursday after having scored 11 straight days of gains.
SINGAPORE: The Straits Times Index rose 1 percent to 3,822.44.
TAIPEI: Taiwan's Weighted index dipped 0.1 percent to 9,617.26.
SYDNEY: Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index closed 0.6 percent higher at 6,605.40.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's NZX 50 index dropped 0.4 percent to 4,284.05.
with files from other wire services
