Asian stocks declined Friday, tracking a reversal in U.S. stocks overnight, with Japanese shares slipping on weakness in exporters such as Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co.
In Tokyo, investors took profits in real estate, bank and exporter shares, sending the Nikkei 225 average down 127.81 points, or 0.73 percent, to 17,331.17 points. The market had risen 2.3 percent the previous three days.
Friday's losers included Mitsubishi Estate Co., which shed 2.3 percent at 3,420 yen, and Toyota Motor Corp, which lost 1.9 percent to 6,560 yen.
In Hong Kong, shares slid, dragged down by Chinese financial stocks, as investors braced for possible steps to cool the booming Chinese economy. The blue chip Hang Seng Index fell 294.65 points, or 1.01 percent, to 28,838.37.
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, the country's biggest bank by assets, dropped 2.1 percent to HK$6.66, China Construction Bank fell 1.5 percent to HK$7.4, and Bank of China ended 2.3 percent lower at HK$4.69.
Heavyweight China Mobile fell 1.1 percent to HK$133.60 after rising for five straight trading days.
ELSEWHERE:
BANGKOK: Thailand's main stock index ended down 0.2 percent at 887.02.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur composite index fell 0.6 percent to 1,375.62. Malaysian financial markets will be closed Monday for the end of Ramadan. Trade will resume Tuesday.
MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-share Sensex index tumbled 395 points, or 2 percent, to close at 18,419 points. On the broader National Stock Exchange, the 50-company S&P Nifty index moved down 96 points, or 1.8 percent, to end at 5,428 points.
SEOUL: The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, lost 1.6 percent to close at 2026.44.
Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics inched higher after a day of volatile trade on better-than-expected third-quarter earnings.
SINGAPORE: The benchmark Straits Times Index fell 18.5 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 3,857.25.
SYDNEY: The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.3 percent to 6,748.9. BHP Billiton and Commonwealth Bank of Australian remained well supported.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares tumbled, dragged down by tech and financial issues after Wall Street's slump overnight. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange fell 2.07 percent to 9,496.47.
WELLINGTON: The benchmark NZX-50 index gained 0.2 percent to close at 4,305.62.
with files from other wire services
