Asian markets mostly down, Tokyo rally ends after 12 days

3 June 2015 02:41 am

AFP: Asian markets mostly fell yesterday, with Tokyo declining after a 12-day rally, while in Europe Greece’s creditors held impromptu talks aimed at resolving the country’s months-long debt crisis.
However, mainland Chinese shares had advanced more than one percent in the afternoon, adding to the previous day’s surge and almost erasing a near-seven percent slump over Thursday and Friday.
Tokyo eased 0.13 percent, or 26.68 points, to 20,543.19, ending the Nikkei’s best winning streak since a 13-day run in 1988 at the height of Japan’s stock market bubble.
In late trade Shanghai had gained 1.33 percent, adding to the near-five percent rise Monday.
But Hong Kong was down 0.48 percent in late trade, while Sydney plunged 1.73 percent, or 99.4 points, to close at 5,636.0 and Seoul fell 1.13 percent, or 23.73 points, to 2,078.64.
More upbeat US indicators added to expectations the Federal Reserve will begin raising interest rates soon, which in turn helped the dollar to 12-year highs against the yen.