Asian markets retreated Tuesday, with worries of rising crude-oil prices weighing down stocks of airlines such as All Nippon Airways Co. in Japan and Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong, while higher raw-material prices hurt shares of steelmakers such as South Korea's Posco.
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index fell 1.5 percent to 13,250.4. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 1.1 percent to 24,311.7.
Tokyo-based Elpida Memory Inc. plunged 10 percent. Tokyo Electron Ltd. slid 3.8 percent. Advantest Corp. fell 5.5 percent.
Meanwhile, Fukuoka Financial Group Inc. tanked 13 percent after brokerages cut its rating on a poor outlook for the year ended March. The bank also issued a downward revision of its own midterm plan.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group was dragged lower, dropping 2.3 percent. Mizuho Financial Group fell 4.0 percent.
Chinese stocks on the mainland were led higher by security and rice companies. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.4 percent to 3,612.5. The Shenzhen Composite Index rose 1.9 percent to 1,087.9.
Elsewhere:
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 1% to 5,571.50, snapping a six-day winning streak.
South Korea's Kospi declined 1.1% to 1,754.71.
New Zealand's NZX 50 index shed 1.1% to 3,605.68.
Taiwan's Weighted index gave up 0.7% to 8,672.85.
Thailand's SET index rose 0.3% to 827.05, ahead of a decision on interest rates by its central bank Wednesday.
with files from other wire services
