Most Asian markets ended lower Thursday, with worries about a surge in supply of new shares and their impact on liquidity dragging Shanghai and Hong Kong lower.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 Index settled back 13.61 points, or 0.1%, to 10,163.80.
Exporters rose in early Tokyo trading after the U.S. dollar briefly rose above the key 90-yen level, although many of them pared gains or declined later, in line with the dollar's retreat.
Toyota Motor and Canon ended flat. Among commodity producers, Sumitomo Metal Mining gained 1.7% and Inpex added 3.6% after crude-oil and gold prices rose in New York.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index fell backward another 264.11 points, or 1.2%, to 21,347.63, after the mainland's securities regulator gave its approval for a number of initial public offerings over the last few days.
In Hong Kong, shares of footwear maker Belle International Holdings slumped 7.2% after the company's management staff sold more than 253 million shares in the company at a discount to the market price.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose, led by wealth-management companies after National Australia Bank submitted a surprise 13.3-billion-Australian-dollar ($11.97 billion U.S.) bid for AXA Asia Pacific Holdings, trumping a bid from AMP Ltd. and AXA SA, for AXA Asia Pacific.
AXA Asia Pacific surged 12.7%. NAB shares slumped 4.7%.
CHINA
The Shanghai 300 Composite Index skidded 80.57 points, or 2.3%, to 3,480.15.
China Shipbuilding Industry, which made a weaker-than-expected debut Wednesday, slumped 6.6%, while China Citic Bank gave up 5.2% in Shanghai.
Elsewhere;
Taiwan’s Taiex index was down 9.43 points, or 0.1%, to 7,742.17
Singapore’s Straits Times index slid 0.66 points to 2,813.27
Korea’s Kospi index stumbled 16.40 points, or 1%, to 1,647.84
New Zealand’s NZX Index finished 10.14 points, 0.3%, lower at 3,122.92
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 8.40 points, or 0.2%, to 4,670.30
