Shares in major Asia-Pacific markets slipped on Thursday, with South Korea leading the losses.
The Nikkei 225 saw its win streak snapped, plummeting 304.55 points, or 1.1%, to 28,341.95.
The Japanese yen traded at 105.22 per U.S. dollar after hovering largely around the 105 level against the greenback yesterday.
The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong grabbed 58.76 points, or 0.2%, to 29,307.46.
Shares of South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor gained 1.2% and Kia Motors rose 0.4%, on Thursday. The moves came after sources told the media that Apple is close to finalizing a deal with Hyundai-Kia to manufacture an Apple-branded autonomous electric vehicle at the Kia assembly plant in West Point, Georgia.
On Wednesday, shares of Kia surged following a local media report that the carmaker is set to sign a four-trillion-won (about $3.59 billion U.S.) deal with Apple to build electric vehicles
Australia’s exports of goods and services in December rose 3% month-on-month on a seasonally adjusted basis, the country’s Bureau of Statistics announced Thursday.
The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7626, still off levels above $0.768 seen last week.
In other markets
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 docked 11.25 points, or 0.2%, to 5,477.95.
In Korea, the Kospi Index dropped 42.13 points, or 1.4%, to 3,087.55
In Singapore, the Straits Times subtracted 21.89 points, or 0.8%, to 2,905.58
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index plunged 65.1 points, or 0.4%, to 15,706.22
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 dumped 99.07 points, or 0.8%, to 12,992.14.
In Australia, the ASX 200 slouched 59.11 points, or 0.9%, to 6,765.50.
