HONG KONG, Aug 22: Asian shares closed mixed on Friday as a sharp rise in oil prices and worries about the global financial crisis hit investor sentiment.

Japan, Asia’s biggest stock market, fell 0.68 per cent as investors awaited key data due next week for clues about the health of the US and Japanese economies.

Markets were also watching closely for signs the US government might bail out ailing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose problems have weighed heavily on financial stocks.

The bourses in China and South Korea ended around one per cent lower, Taiwan was little changed, Singapore edged up and Australian managed to post a 1.15 per cent rise. Hong Kong was shut due to a typhoon.

Among smaller markets, India, Malaysia and Indonesia rose more than one per cent.

TOKYO: Japanese share prices closed down 0.68 per cent, hitting a near five-month low on jitters about US financial woes and a stronger yen, which is bad for exporters, dealers said.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index lost 86.17 points to end at 12,666.04, the lowest close since April 1. The broader Topix index of all first-section shares shed 8.11 points or 0.66 per cent to 1,216.42.

Turnover was low, with just 1.473 billion shares changing hands, the lowest since a half-day session on January 4.

We will continue watching when US financial stocks stop sliding as that’s an indication for (the outlook for) the Japanese market, Shinko Securities analyst Yutaka Miura told Dow Jones Newswires.

SYDNEY: Australian shares closed up 1.15 per cent, dealers said.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 56.2 points to 4,931.4, while the broader All Ordinaries added 60.6 points to 5,010.2.

A total of 1.38 billion shares worth 6.26 billion Australian dollars (5.44 billion US) were traded.

SINGAPORE: Singapore share prices closed 0.36 per cent higher, dealers said.

The blue-chip Straits Times Index gained 9.83 points to 2,723.30 on volume of 645.17 million shares valued at 864.12 million Singapore dollars (614.15 million US).

Although the market has come down a lot, I don’t think we’ve yet formed a base, Westcomb research head Goh Mou Lih told Dow Jones Newswires.

Singapore Airlines declined 12 cents to 14.88 and shipping firm Neptune Orient Lines retreated nine cents to 2.28. DBS fell four cents to 17.68.

CapitaLand dropped three cents to 4.45.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian share prices ended 1.3 per cent higher, dealers said.

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index gained 14.17 points to end at 1,085.60.

But dealers said volumes were thin as investors took to the sidelines ahead of an August 26 by-election that will be contested by opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim.

The budget announcement is due a few days later, on August 29.

JAKARTA: Indonesia shares closed 1.5 per cent higher, dealers said.

The Jakarta Composite Index rose 32.24 points to 2,120.49.

I think bargain hunting in commodity stocks will continue Monday if oil prices continue to rebound, a trader told Dow Jones Newswires.

Key gainers included coal miner Bumi, which rose 2.8 per cent to 5,450, and palm oil producer Astra Agro, which jumped seven per cent to 18,300.

MUMBAI: Indian shares closed 1.11 per cent higher, dealers said.

The benchmark 30-share Sensex index rose 157.76 points to 14,401.49.

The markets saw a small bounceback after sharp losses. Concern of rising inflationary pressures are, however, likely to pull the markets back next week, said Bhaskar Kapadia, a partner at Pyramid Securities.—AFP