Asian shares were mostly lower Friday as investors evaluated the latest earnings reports while worries about rising US bond yields weighed on sentiment.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 sank 0.7 per cent to 23,313.13 and South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.7 per cent to 2,525.09. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dipped 0.1 per cent to 32,609.02.
The Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.3 per cent to 3,435.46. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200, however, added 0.5 per cent to 6,106.70. Taiwan shares rose while Southeast Asian indexes were mixed.
Major US benchmarks ended mostly lower on Thursday, reports AP.
The S&P 500 index fell 0.1 per cent to 2,821.98. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 0.1 per cent to 26,186.71. The Nasdaq composite lost 0.3 per cent to 7,385.86.
Oil futures extended gains, with benchmark US crude climbing 30 cents to $66.10 a barrel. The contract rose $1.07, or 1.7 per cent, to settle at $65.80 per barrel on Thursday.
Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 20 cents to $69.85 per barrel in London.
The dollar rose to $109.66 yen from 109.41 yen in late trading Thursday. The euro weakened to $1.2496 from $1.2514.
