TOKYO, Feb 20: Stock markets across Asia were dragged lower by Wall Street on Wednesday as investors turned cautious and took profits.

Sydney, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur had the biggest falls while Tokyo, which lost 0.1 percent, remained below the symbolic 10,000-point mark.

Dealers said the trading in Tokyo was driven by Wall Street’s performance but hope for a bailout of Japan’s weak banks offered slight support, dealers said.

The Nikkei 225 average of the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended down 13.03 points at 9,834.13 while the Topix index of all issues on the market’s first section lost 3.05 points to 956.91.

Since the outcome of the (US-Japan) meeting was somewhat disappointing, we need to focus more on whether the (Prime Minister Junichiro) Koizumi administration itself can quickly finalise the bank recapitalisation measures,” said Toyo Securities strategist Kazumasa Fukushima.

US President George W. Bush held summit talks with his Japanese counterpart during a 72-hour trip to Tokyo that ended Tuesday.

But dealers said despite intense speculation the meeting would inspire fresh economy-boosting action from Japan, nothing concrete emerged.

On Wall Street the Dow Jones lost 1.6 per cent to 9,744.24, and the Nasdaq plunged 3.0 per cent to 1,750.71 points, its worst showing of the year.

But investors welcomed reports Bank of Japan governor Masaru Hayami had urged Koizumi late Tuesday to make a quick decision regarding an injection of public money into major banks.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong share prices dropped 0.8 per cent led by falls in market heavyweights HSBC and China Mobile, although sentiment improved later on the back of expectations of a recovery in US markets.

The key Hang Seng index lost 91.43 points to close at 10,749.06.

SINGAPORE: Singapore share prices closed 0.8 per cent lower, dragged down by weakness in US equities.

The Straits Times Index finished 13.38 points down at 1,729.35.—AFP