Nikkei: 10,254.43 (-179.95) Hang Seng: 23,249.78 (-365.11) Shanghai Comp: 2,9235.61 (-21.54):ASIAN STOCKS fell yesterday, dragging the regional index to its biggest weekly drop since August, as the major earthquake hit Japan, violence spread in the Middle East and US unemployment rose.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 1.1 per cent to 134.59 in Tokyo, the lowest level since December 20th.
Honda Motors fell 2.7 per cent to ¥3,310 in Tokyo, while Toyota dropped 1.5 per cent to ¥3,595. Convertible Bonds IHI, a Japanese heavy-machinery maker, slumped 4.3 per cent to ¥203.
Li and Fung, Wal-Mart’s biggest supplier, fell 2.9 per cent to HK$44.25 in Hong Kong and Jiangxi Copper lost 1.7 per cent to HK$23.10.
In Seoul, Daelim Industrial slumped 4.7 per cent to 101,000 won, Hyundai Engineering and Construction dropped 2 per cent to 77,200 won and GS Engineering and Construction declined 3.8 per cent to 102,000 won.
In Sydney, BHP Billiton slid 1 per cent to A$44.19 and Rio Tinto declined 2 per cent to A$78.80.
CapitaMall Trust, Singapore’s biggest retail property trust, sank 1.1 per cent to S$1.81 after the company increased the size of its convertible bond sale to S$250 million from S$200 million. – (Bloomberg)
