Asian markets ended mixed Friday, with resource stocks such as BHP Billiton and Cnooc dropping on a sharp retreat in commodity prices, while exporters and shipping stocks ranked among gainers.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index added 62.61 points or 0.48% to close at 13,019.41 while the Hang Seng Index declined 232.12 points or 1.1% to close the day's trading at 21,160.58.
Export-oriented and shipping stocks led the gainers. Toyota Motor rose 2.9%, Sony gained 2.2% and Canon climbed 2.3%.
Shipping company stocks were lifted by a rise in the Baltic Dry Index, a key measure of freight rates for commodities. Mitsui O.S.K rose 2.8%, Kawasaki Kisen jumped 4.9% and Nippon Yusen K.K. gained 3.1%.
Banking stocks closed mixed. Mizuho Financial Group advanced 1.53% and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial added 1%, while Mitsubishi UFJ Financial eased 0.24%. Real estate stock Urban plummeted 81%, extending Thursday's 48% drop.
The Chinese stock market closed higher, ending a dive-day decline. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 13.53 points or 0.56% to settle at 2450.61.
Metal and financial stocks led the gainers, while property stocks declined. Three listed steel units of Panzhihua steel group all rose by the daily 10% limit after Anshan Iron and Steel Group paid about 1.7 billion yuan for a more than 5% stake in each company. Other iron and steel companies also ended the day with gains.
Financial stocks, including CITIC Securities and Industrial Bank ended higher, while property stocks, including China Vanke and Poly Real Estate, closed lower.
Elsewhere:
Taiwan's weighted index declined 130 points or 1.77% to 7,197.
Singapore's Straits Times index lost 19 points or 0.68% to 2,798.
Indonesia's Jakarta composite index declined 21 points or 1.02% to 2,085.
Malaysia's KLSE Composite Index closed down 14 points or 1.30% at 1,095.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 ended little changed at 4,981.70.
New Zealand's NZX 50 index climbed 0.5%.
with files from other wire services
