Nikkei 225 was down 0.5% at 34,915.47, Kospi skidded 0.7% to 2,551.36, Hang Seng added 0.8% to 17,018.62 and the Shanghai Composite rose 0.3% to 2,877.28
Asian shares were mixed Thursday after declines on Wall Street, as the turbulence that recently slammed global markets impacted investors.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 retrieved earlier losses to be down 0.5% in afternoon trading at 34,915.47. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.4% to 7,673.10. South Korea’s Kospi skidded 0.7% to 2,551.36.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.8% to 17,018.62. The Shanghai Composite rose 0.3% to 2,877.28.
Taiwan’s Taiex declined 1.9% as computer chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. slipped 2.5%, tracking losses in the tech sector on Wall Street and elsewhere.
Some semiconductor equipment makers and related companies saw further losses. Advantest Corp. declined 3.2% and Disco Corp. dipped 4%. But Lasertec Corp.’s stock climbed 22.6% after it reported a 28% rise in its net profit for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
The S&P 500 and Dow futures were little changed.
Although Wall Street plunged on Wednesday, the decline was not as bad as the moves that rattled global markets earlier in the week. European markets logged strong gains.
Japanese officials moved Wednesday to calm concerns over potential rate hikes after a rise in its key rate contributed to the heavy selling on Monday, when the Nikkei suffered its worst percentage loss since 1987.
The Japanese yen was relatively steady after big gains in its value against the U.S. dollar that led investors to dump shares on Friday and Monday. The U.S. dollar slid to 146.24 Japanese yen from 146.72 yen. The euro cost $1.0935, up from $1.0927.
Investors are also paying close attention to earnings reports being released across the globe.
Honda Motor Co. and Sony Corp. both released relatively positive financial results this week. Honda’s shares climbed more than 1%, while Sony lost initial gains to decline 0.7%.
