Tokyo, Japan (BBN)– Asian markets were mostly in negative territory on Friday following gains across the region on Thursday as falling oil prices hurt investor sentiment.
Thursday’s gains followed a rise in US interest rates and comments from the Fed that the US economy was “performing well”, reports BBC.
The interest rate increase was the first since June 2006.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was down 0.51 per cent at 19,253.89.
The index closed up more than 1.5 per cent a day earlier on Thursday on a weaker yen and the Fed’s move.
The price of Brent Crude, seen as the global benchmark, was 1.4 per cent lower at $36.86. West Texas Crude moved down 2.1 per cent to $34.78.
In China, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was down 0.31 per cent at 21,806.95, while the Shanghai Composite index was the one bright spot in the region, up 0.4 per cent at 3,594.49.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index was down 0.07 per cent at 5,098.20.
South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index was down 0.41 per cent at 1,969.45, in line with the rest of the region.
BBN/SSR/AD
