Asian shares were mostly lower Thursday as sentiments got dragged down by a slide on Wall Street.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.6 per cent in early trading to 21,726.26. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.9 per cent to 5,962.90. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.4 per cent to 30,718.11.
However, the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.2 per cent to 3,266.03. South Korean markets were closed for Independence Movement Day, a national holiday.
The S&P 500 fell 30.45 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 2,713.83, while the Dow Jones industrial average lost 380.83, or 1.5 per cent, to 25,029.20 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 57.35, or 0.8 per cent, to 7,273.01.
Benchmark US crude added 2 cents to $61.66 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1 cent to $64.72 per barrel, reports AP.
The dollar dipped to 106.68 Japanese yen from 107.18 yen late Wednesday. The euro fell to $1.2189 from $1.2202.
