Tokyo, Japan (BBN)-Japanese shares hit a one-year low early on Monday following big falls in the US and as oil prices dropped below $28 for the first time since 2003.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell to its lowest level since the beginning of 2015, reports BBC.
By mid-morning it had regained some ground and was down 1.37 per cent at 16,912.23.
In Australia, investors were also reacting to falling oil prices.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was down 0.8 per cent at 4,854.40 points.
Energy-related stocks were falling across the board, with BHP Billiton shares down 3.2 per cent, Woodside down 1.8%, and Santos shares down nearly 7 per cent.
The country’s big lenders were also seeing falls on Monday, with ANZ’s shares down 1.2 per cent and Westpac’s down 1 per cent.
In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi index was down 0.39 per cent at 1,871.61, in line with falls across the region.
EYES ON CHINA
In China, analysts said they expected markets to be hurt further this week by falling oil prices, together with continued worries about the mainland’s economic growth.
The country’s latest quarterly gross domestic product numbers are out on Tuesday.
Monday’s property numbers showed housing prices rising 1.6 per cent in December from a year earlier.
The country’s housing market accounts for about 15 per cent of the economy and the December numbers mark the third consecutive month of year-on-year gains.
Investors seemed to be acting on the upbeat report, with the Shanghai Composite moving out of negative territory – albeit only briefly.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was down 1.5 per cent to 19,315.60, while the Shanghai Composite was flat at 2,901.28 in mid morning trade.
BBN/SK/AD