Benchmark indexes in Asia mostly declined Wednesday, giving up early advances, as a sharp overnight drop in crude-oil prices hurt energy stocks such as Woodside Petroleum and Cnooc more than it helped lift airline shares such as Korean Air Co.
In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average edged nearly 0.1 percent higher to 12,760.8. Hong Kong's blue-chip Hang Seng Index gained 0.2 percent to 21,223.50.
In Japan, the falling oil prices dragged down resource-related names but buoyed others standing to benefit from lower fuel costs.
Major trading house Mitsubishi Corp. slid 2.5 percent, and Nippon Oil Corp. shed 1.9 percent. Inpex Holdings Inc. lost 4.9 percent. Gainers included All Nippon Airways, up 1.6 percent.
Some Japanese tech shares jumped after Intel Corp., the world's largest chip maker, reported better-than-expected second-quarter results Tuesday.
Some banking stocks, including those of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group, made a comeback after getting pummeled Tuesday, though analysts said U.S. worries could weigh further on the issues.
In mainland China, shares suffered another steep decline amid uncertainty about Chinese monetary policy and the credit crisis roiling U.S. markets. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.7 percent to 2,705.87.
Elsewhere:
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3% to 4,827.90.
South Korea's Kospi lost 0.8% to 1,497.03.
New Zealand's NZX 50 index slipped 0.2% to 3,035.87.
Singapore's Straits Times Index inched up 0.1% to 2,833.
with files from other wire services
