A drop in Japanese machinery orders and news of lagging US consumers data have given rise to fresh worries about the possibility of an economic recovery.
The Asian markets have ended in red. The Hang Seng dropped 141 points to 17,721. The Nikkei slumped 227 points (2.5%) to 9,420.
The Taiwan Weighted shed 47 points to 6,668. The Straits Times declined 11 points to 2,261.
The Seoul Composite and the Shanghai Composite were flat at 1,431 and 3,081, respectively.
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(Updated at 1116 hrs)
Asian markets are trading in red this morning.
The Hang Seng has slumped 301 points (1.5%) to 17,561. The Nikkei has plunged 218 points (2.3%) to 9,430 on recoevry worries, even as oil dropped to a 6-week low.
The Shanghai Composite has shed 65 points (2%) to 3,024. The Taiwan Weighted has dropped 48 points to 6,667.
The Straits Times is down 27 points (1%) to 2,246. The Seoul Composite is flat at 1,424 - down 11 points.
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(Updated at 0801 hrs)
The Asian markets have today opened on a negative note.
The Hang Seng has dropped 185 points (1%) to 17,677.
The Nikkei has tumbled 177 points (2%)to 9,471.The stock hit a six-week low on Wednesday, as exporters such as Honda Motor slipped on a stronger yen and discussions of a second US government stimulus plan sparked worries that the economy is still under pressure and is not recovering.
The Shanghai Composite was down 20 points at 3,069.
The Straits Times has slipped 13 points to 2,259 and the Taiwan Weighted Index has declined 56 points to 6,659.
The Seoul Composite is marginally down six points at 1,427.
