Japanese shares gave ground for the first time in five sessions Friday, as Honda Motor Co. and other recent strong performers lost momentum, while worries that the U.S. dollar could be headed for further weakness against the yen also undermined sentiment.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index slipped 21.58 points, or 0.12 percent, to close at 17,875.65 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 29.49 points, or 0.14 percent, to 20,567.91.
Investors sold real-estate and electric power firms on concerns about their large debts ahead of the Bank of Japan's decision on interest rates next week.
Investors locked in profits as recent strong economic data released Thursday showed Japan's economy grew at a stronger-than-expected annual pace of 4.8 percent in the fourth quarter.
Mitsubishi Estate Co. dropped 2.16 percent and Tokyo Electric Power Co. sank 1.42 percent.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thai shares slipped 0.8 percent to 688.01 percent in razor-thin trade ahead of Chinese New Year.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares rose 0.6 percent to 1,801.21 points , with bellwether Telekomunikasi Indonesia gaining 1.6 percent as its expected positive earnings results prompted buying by long-term investors.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian shares surged to the highest mark this year after late bargain hunting in blue chips erased earlier losses. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index rose 0.3 percent to 1,262.09.
MANILA: Philippine shares declined as investors cashed in gains during the last two sessions. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index shed 45.81 points, or 1.4 percent, at 3,333.56.
MUMBAI: Indian stock markets was closed.
SEOUL: South Korean shares rose, led by chipmakers and brokerages. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, rose 5.18 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,448.81.
SHANGHAI: Chinese shares surged past the psychological benchmark of 3,000, though share prices later fell back to close only marginally higher amid renewed profit-taking. The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.2 percent to 2,998.47. The Shenzhen Composite Index jumped 1.0 percent to 758.02.
SINGAPORE: Singapore shares fell as investors locked in their profits from the previous session's record-high closing, ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand shares ended lower as the market drifted in the absence of strong drivers. The benchmark NZX-50 index dropped 12.78 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,179.89.
SYDNEY: Australian shares dropped for the first time in 14 sessions. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index fell 39.1 points, or 0.7 percent, to 5,953.7 -- its biggest one-day loss since Jan. 10.
With files from wire services
