Asian markets ended on a mixed note Friday, with shares in Tokyo, Sydney and Seoul managing to overcome intraday volatility to close in the positive territory, while both Hong Kong and Shanghai declined for a fourth straight session.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 Average closed 0.6% higher at 13,973.73, In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index lost 1.9% to 22,592.30.
In Tokyo, exporters supported the late recovery as the dollar rose above the 108-yen level.
Shares of Honda jumped 3.2% as Nintendo Co. climbed 1.6%.
Shares of Marubeni rose 2% and energy producer Inpex Holdings Inc. added 3.1%, helped by overnight gains for crude oil.
But shipping firms dropped, pressured by a sharp recent decline in dry-freight prices, according to reports. Shares of Mitsui O.S.K. skidded 3.4% and Nippon Yusen K.K. lost 2.7%.
Elsewhere:
Australian shares finished Friday 0.9% higher at 5,378.10.
New Zealand's NZX 50 gave up 0.7% to 3,416.
Singapore's Straits Times index dipping 1.3% to 2,979.56.
South Korea's Kospi rose 0.5% to 1,747.35.
Taiwan's Weighted index rose 0.5% to 8,105.59.
with files from other wire services
