Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corporation

Friday Asian stocks received a positive lead from Wall Street. US stocks overnight posted a slim gain, supported by better-than-expected retail sales data and analyst upgrades of a batch of blue-chip companies. Yesterday most Asian markets closed lower on renewed worries about China's policy tightening. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slid 1.4 per cent, while Shanghai Composite lost 2.4 per cent, with China's banking and property shares dropping sharply. Singapore market was also impacted by China's property bubble concerns, and Straits Times slid 0.5 per cent. Japan's Nikkei 225 was off 1.1 per cent as strong yen hurt exporters.

Most Asian markets ended lower yesterday on fears of a possible downgrade of Greek debt. Japan's Nikkei lost 1.0 per cent while a rising yen weighed on exporters. Taiwan market fell 1.4 per cent and South Korean's Kospi declined 1.6 per cent. But China's Shanghai Composite rose 1.3 per cent, as investors were expecting an annual parliament session in March may reaffirm China's relatively loose monetary policy.

Asian equity markets Friday experienced heavy losses after Wall Street's tumble and concerns over European sovereign debt. Japan's Nikkei index fell 2.9%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index lost 3.3%, its first finish below 20000 since September. South Korea's Kospi lost 3% to 1567.12, Taiwan's Taiex sank 4.3% and China's Shanghai Composite gave up 1.9%.

US market was closed yesterday for public holiday. European shares gained on the back of higher commodity prices overnight. Asian markets ended mixed on Monday while traders are awaiting US corporate earnings. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.2%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 0.9%, China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.4%, South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6% and Taiwan's Taiex slipped 0.2%.