By Michael Kitchen
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- After a mostly positive open Thursday following Wall Street's advance overnight, Asian equities markets pulled back in midday trading, with Tokyo exporters giving back gains and some Chinese financials lower. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Average was down 0.9% at 10,107.3 after opening to the upside, while the broader Topix also reversed direction to trade 0.5% lower at 891.1. A stronger yen, with the U.S. dollar dropping below the psychologically important 90 yen level, weighed on exporters, with Sony Corp. (JP:6758 3,110, -80.00, -2.51%) (SNE 34.60, -0.01, -0.03%) down 2.3%, and NEC Electronics Corp. (JP:6723 879.00, -21.00, -2.33%) (NELT.Y 4.39, +0.24, +5.78%) losing 6%. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index was off 0.8% at 20,298.5, and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lower by 1.3% at 11,343.3. There, mainland Chinese banks traded mostly to the downside, with Bank of China Ltd. (HK:3988 3.72, -0.10, -2.62%) (BACH.Y 12.22, -0.09, -0.73%) falling 2.9%. Elsewhere, Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.5%, and Seoul's Kopsi was off by 1%, but the Shanghai Composite was still positive, up by 1%. |
