Asian markets ended mixed after another day of volatility Friday, as cautious investors weighed lingering worries about the U.S. housing and financial sectors against hopes of an economic rescue package from the Bush administration.
In Tokyo, the region's biggest market, the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index rose 0.6 percent to 13,861.29, reversing an opening 3 percent plunge in the wake of an overnight drop on Wall Street.
Hong Kong's benchmark index rose 0.4 percent to 25,210.87 after plummeting as much as 3.7 percent in morning trade.
In Japan, gainers included property and steel companies like Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., which surged 8.01 percent, and Nippon Steel Corp., which jumped 5.23 percent.
Shares of Nintendo rose 3.4%, steelmaker JFE Holdings Inc.'s shares advanced 3.7% and real estate major Mitsui Fudosan Co. climbed 5.9% after all of them lost heavily earlier in the day.
Elsewhere:
SEOUL: South Korea's Kospi rose 0.7% at 1,734.72.
SHANGHAI: China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.6% higher at 5,180.51.
TAIPEI: Taiwan's Weighted index rose 1% to 8,184.65.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's NZX 50 index dropped 1.8% to 3,664.36.
SYDNEY: Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index finished the day 0.8% lower at 5,747.30, even as analysts said the country's economy continued to grow well, unaffected by the U.S. slowdown.
with files from other wire services
