Asian stocks ended sharply lower Thursday, falling for the first time in five days as automotive shares and bank shares weakened while oil companies such as Woodside Petroleum advanced after crude-oil prices firmed overnight.
In Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 322.65 points, or 2.2 per cent, to 14,130.17.
Among losers, financial giant Mizuho Financial Group Inc. dropped 3.7 per cent and its rival Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. lost 3.6 per cent. Japan's top automaker Toyota Motor Corp. fell 3.2 per cent and Honda Motor Co. was down 3.4 per cent.
Japan Airlines Corp. lost 0.9 per cent after pilots of the country's largest carrier launched a strike Thursday, forcing the cancellation of 34 domestic flights.
In Hong Kong, the blue chip Hang Seng Index fell 528.19 points, or 2.26 per cent, to finish at 22,797.61, while the Shanghai Composite Index sank 6.5 per cent to 2,748.87 - despite a rally the previous day.
Shares across the board were lower in Hong Kong. Fixed-line phone company China Netcom lost 4.1 per cent to HK$22.05, while its soon-to-be owner, China Unicom, also shed 4.1 per cent to HK$14.8. China Telecom fell 4.3 per cent to HK$4.48.
In Shanghai, PetroChina, the listed unit of China's biggest oil and gas company, tumbled 5.7 per cent.
Elsewhere:
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.4% to 5,366.60.
South Korea's Kospi index retreated 1.9% to 1,740.72.
Taiwan's Weighted Price Index dropped 2.1%.
Singapore's Straits Times eased 1.4%.
Malaysia's KLSE Composite sank 1.6%.
Thailand's SET was down 2.4%.
New Zealand's NZX-50 was down 1.5%.
with files from other wire services
