By Michael Kitchen
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Asian stock markets traded broadly lower in midday action Wednesday, with Tokyo benchmarks leading the decline after a larger-than-expected downward revision to Japan's third-quarter economic growth. The Nikkei 225 Average was down 1.4% at 9,995.12 in early afternoon trade and the Topix off 1.3% at 885.26, with auto makers among the loss-leaders amid a gloomer economic outlook, including Nissan Motor Co. (JP:7201 736.00, -7.00, -0.94%) (NSAN.Y 16.33, -0.12, -0.73%) down 3.5%. Hong Kong shares were also down, with the Hang Seng Index off by 0.8% at 21,885.6, and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index 1% lower at 13,019.8. Index heavyweight HSBC Holdings Plc. (HK:5 88.95, -1.60, -1.77%) (HBC 57.13, +0.01, +0.02%) fell by 1.9% following news it plans to acquire major Asian retail and commercial banking assets of Royal Bank of Scotland. Other major indexes also moved to the downside, with Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 falling 0.8%, the Shanghai Composite dropping 1.6%, and Seoul's Kospi losing 0.2%.
