Asia weaker on oil concerns
(CNN) -- Asian stocks are lower at midday Monday as jitters about oil prices weigh on key exporters such as Toshiba, Sony and Korea's Samsung Electronics.
Carmakers are also weaker, with Hyundai Motor down more than 3 percent and a fall of 2.4 percent for Japan's Nissan.
Toyota is down 0.5 percent to 3980 yen. The falls for Sony and Toshiba are around 1.25 percent.
Big banks are also in the red, with UFJ down 5 percent to 526,000 yen and Mizuho off 2.1 percent to 466,000 yen.
Oil supply fears rose after a deadly attack by suspected al Qaeda militants in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, in which 22 people died. Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter. (Full story)
The Nikkei 225 average finished the morning session down 1.14 percent at 11,180.51, following a total 3.16 percent gain in the previous three sessions.
The broader Topix index is off 0.87 percent to 1132.41.
In South Korea, the Kospi is down 2.42 percent to 796.74, with falls of 3 percent-plus for Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics.
In Taiwan, the Taiex is down 1.36 percent to 6053.96. Chip foundry UMC is 2 percent lower to T$28.40.
Markets in Singapore and Hong Kong are also in the red, but Australia is up slightly, with the S&P/ASX200 0.27 percent ahead to 3459.6.
Asian stocks rose on Friday following a fall in oil prices and weaker-than-expected U.S. economic data, which partially eased fears that record crude prices and higher U.S. interest rates may choke economic growth.
Wall Street closed mixed on Friday, with a slight fall for the Dow Jones industrial average but a gain of 0.11 percent for the tech-heavy Nasdaq. (Full story)
U.S. and some European markets are closed Monday for national holidays.
