Asian markets were mixed Thursday, with Japanese shares ending lower after four days of advances on financials such as Mizuho Financial Group, while resource issues such as Woodside Petroleum and BHP Billiton lifted Australian stocks as trading resumed after a two-day holiday break.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 average dropped 0.6 percent to 15,564.69, after advancing during the four previous sessions, while the broader Topix index fell 0.6 percent to 1,499.94.
The Hang Seng Index fell 1 percent to 27,842.93, after rising as high as 28,343.39 earlier in the day. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 0.5 percent to 16,348.
In Tokyo, banking shares shed some of their recent gains, with Mizuho stock dropping 1.4 percent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group shares losing 0.7 percent and Nomura Holdings dropping 1 percent.
Shares of Sanyo Electric tumbled 11 percent.
Hong Kong-listed shares of energy major Cnooc rose 0.6 percent, while in Tokyo, Inpex Holdings Inc. added 0.8 percent.
In Sydney, Woodside Petroleum stock climbed 4 percent and shares of mining giant BHP Billiton gained 1.4 percent. In Mumbai trading, shares of Oil & Natural Gas Corp. climbed 1.9 percent.
ELSEWHERE:
MUMBAI: India's Sensitive index, or Sensex, fell 0.1 percent to 20,167.18.
SINGAPORE: The Straits Times was little changed at 3,474.41.
SHANGHAI: China's Shanghai Composite rose 1.4 percent to 5,308.89.
TAIPEI: Taiwan's Weighted Index rose 1.9 percent to 8,313.72.
SEOUL: South Korea's Kospi rose 0.1 percent to 1,908.62.
SYDNEY: Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4 percent at 6,350.90.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's NZX 50 index added 0.2 percent at 4,068.63.
with files from other wire services
