Asian stocks close lower

Published May 16, 2007

HONG KONG, May 15: Asian stocks closed lower on Tuesday with a mixed performance on Wall Street providing investors with an excuse to cash-up on recent sharp gains that had delivered many benchmarks to record highs.

Of markets that have traded at or near record highs, Seoul slumped 1.02 per cent, Sydney fell 0.85 per cent, Singapore shed 0.74 per cent, Jakarta eased 0.31 per cent, Kuala Lumpur fell 0.99 per cent and Wellington shed 0.57 per cent.

TOKYO: Share prices closed down 0.93 per cent after an unexpected drop in machinery orders, a closely watched measure of corporate spending, unsettled investors.

HONG KONG: Share prices closed 0.53 per cent lower as investors took quick profits from Monday's rally and after the benchmark index briefly touched an all-time high.

SYDNEY: Shares prices closed 0.85 per cent lower after profit taking in the resources sector and a mixed performance from Wall Street overnight provided no lead.

SINGAPORE: Share prices closed 0.74 per cent lower as investors cashed in recent gains after touching a new record high.

KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices closed 0.99 per cent lower as investors continued to cash in on earlier gains in the absence of fresh domestic leads.

JAKARTA: Share prices closed 0.31 per cent lower on profit-taking, with weakness in regional markets undermining local market sentiment.

WELLINGTON: Share prices fell 0.57 per cent, following falls in key regional markets.

The NZX-50 gross index fell 24.16 points to 4,214.78 on turnover worth 119.1 million dollars (87.8 million US).

MUMBAI: Share prices fell 0.26 pc on weak global trends and selling pressure in software stocks. The Sensex fell 36.53 points to 13,929.33.—AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Centre vs provinces
Updated 10 Jun, 2026

Centre vs provinces

The reason the centre finds itself in this position is rooted in its failure to expand the tax net and boost revenues.
Party in crisis
10 Jun, 2026

Party in crisis

THE young KP chief minister must be starting to realise just how thorny a seat he occupies. There has been a flurry...
Varsity woes
10 Jun, 2026

Varsity woes

FINANCIAL crises affecting public sector universities across Pakistan are now having an impact on academic...
Doctor attacked
09 Jun, 2026

Doctor attacked

AN act of reprehensible violence has shaken the medical community. On Saturday, an employee of the Provincial Civil...
AJK flare-up
Updated 09 Jun, 2026

AJK flare-up

The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly shot in an altercation with law-enforcers.
Fault lines
09 Jun, 2026

Fault lines

THE April 8 ceasefire that halted hostilities between Israel and Iran has encountered its most serious test yet....