Tokyo dips ahead of U.S. data
(CNN) -- Japan has again closed lower Tuesday on weaker techs and banks, but other Asian stocks have recovered from early falls.
Investors are waiting on Tuesday's release of consumer price data in the United States, and testimony by U.S. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan to a Senate committee.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei closed almost 1 percent lower, while South Korea's Kospi put on 1.8 percent and Taiwan's Taiex added 1.3 percent.
Hong Kong is higher near the close and Singapore is steady, but Australia and New Zealand closed in the red.
Concerns about a possible U.S. rate rise later this month pushed big Japanese banks UFJ and Mizuho lower. Techs such as Advantest and Tokyo Electron also finished in the red. But carmakers rose.
The Nikkei 225 ended 0.9 percent lower to 11,387.70, while the broader Topix was down 0.6 percent to 1151.30.
Among the banks, MTFG and SMFG both fell about 1.5 percent. Mizuho slipped 1 percent to 460,000 yen and UFJ ended 0.7 percent lower to 555,000 yen.
There were also falls among techs. NEC was off 2.6 percent to 737 yen, Fujitsu and Toshiba were about 1.5 percent lower and tech bellwether Advantest ended 3 percent lower to 6860 yen. Market heavyweight NTT DoCoMo closed down 0.5 percent to 198,000 yen.
In the auto sector, Honda was up 0.4 percent to 4900 yen and Toyota put on 1.4 percent to 4230 yen. Nissan finished 0.35 percent ahead to 1141 yen.
Mitsubishi Motors was down 3.1 percent to 186 yen. Its former president was arrested last Thursday. (Full story)
South Korea recovers
| Hyundai Motor said Tuesday it would expand its China output. |
In Seoul, the Kospi recovered a little from last week's big falls to finish 1.8 percent higher at 752.10.
Samsung Electronics reversed an early slide to end 2.3 percent ahead to 438,500 won. Rival LG Electronics was steady at 53,500 won.
Leading exporter Hyundai Motor ended in the red, down 0.7 percent to 40,700 won after announcing more expansion plans in China. (Full story)
In Australia, the S&P/ASX200 closed 0.28 percent lower to 3468.3 after going near record highs last week.
Resources leader BHP Billiton was down 0.8 percent to A$12.12 and Rio Tinto ended 1 percent lower to A$34.85.
Taiwan's Taiex finished about 1.3 percent higher to 5646.49. Contract chipmaker TSMC, the market's biggest stock, was down 0.7 percent to $43.00.
The Taiwan stock exchange adjusted the company's share price Monday to reflect it going ex-dividend, based on the change in the number of shares out. TSMC had closed at NT$50.50 on Friday.
In Singapore, the Straits Times index is flat, up 0.03 percent at 1,814.66.
Singapore Airlines is 1 percent lower to S$10.30.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index is up 0.39 percent to 12,123.54 heading towards the close. HSBC and China Mobile are steady, but Hutchison Whampoa is up.
The moves in Asia follow a weaker close for Wall Street Monday, with the Dow losing 0.7 percent and the Nasdaq dropping 1.5 percent. (Full story)