HONG KONG, Jan 22: Asian shares plunged again on Tuesday as the threat of a US recession led panicky investors to dump stocks, sending a clutch of markets down more than seven per cent and Tokyo to a 28-month low.
Every market in the region was in virtual free-fall during the day. Trading was briefly suspended in South Korea and India, while jittery investors elsewhere watched markets open sharply in the red -- and then keep plummeting.
Hong Kong suffered the worst slide among Asia’s biggest markets, slumping nearly nine per cent. China and Australia both tumbled more than seven per cent.
TOKYO: Japanese share prices tumbled 5.65 per cent to a 28-month low amid a global selloff on fears a US recession will hit the rest of the world, dealers said.
The mood on Asia’s largest bourse was also soured by a spike in the yen, which makes Japanese exports less competitive.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index ended down 752.89 points at 12,573.05, closing below the symbolic 13,000-point level for the first time since September 2005.
The broader Topix index of all first-section shares closed down 73.79 points or 5.70 per cent at 1,219.95.Declining shares outnumbered gainers 1,682 to 31, with 15 issues unchanged.
Volume rose to 2.79 billion shares from 2.18 billion Monday.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong share prices closed down 8.7 per cent, their biggest ever one-day fall ever, dealers said.
The Hang Seng index closed down 2,061.23 points at 21,757.63. Turnover was 155.76 billion Hong Kong dollars (19.95 billion US).
The mood in the market is bearish and irrational. The index has fallen below all previous support levels, said Castor Pang, strategist with Sun Hung Kai Financial.
SYDNEY: Australian share prices closed down 7.1 per cent, dealers said.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed down 393.6 points at 5,186.8, its lowest level since October 2006, while the broader All Ordinaries index fell 408.9 points to 5,222.
Volume traded was 3.14 billion shares worth 9.56 billion dollars (8.38 billion US dollars).
The 12th straight session of losses also marked the market’s longest losing streak since January 1982.
SINGAPORE: Singapore share prices closed down 1.73 per cent, dealers said.
The blue chip Straits Times Index (STI) fell 50.60 points to 2,866.55 after earlier tumbling 4.83 per cent. This followed a 6.03 per cent plunge on Monday.
Volume was 2.75 billion shares worth 2.90 billion Singapore dollars (2.03 billion US).
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian share prices closed down 3.8 per cent, dealers said.
The Kuala Lumpur Composite index fell 54.12 points to 1,354.48.
The plantation sector remains one of the most vulnerable sectors as speculative support for crude oil and crude palm oil prices is losing steam,”said Vincent Khoo, research chief at Aseambankers Investment Bank.
Sime Darby, the world’s largest palm oil producer, slid 0.40 ringgit to 11.20. Tenaga dropped 0.40 to 8.95. Maybank slipped 0.40 to 11.20.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand share prices closed down 1.09 per cent, dealers said.
The benchmark NZX-50 index fell 39.77 points to a 15-month low of 3,607.13.
Telecom was down 10 cents at a 17-month low of 3.99 dollars and Fletcher Building fell five cents to a 13-month low of 9.95.
MUMBAI: Indian share prices closed down 4.97pc, dealers said.
They said the market recovered from a record intra-day fall of nearly 13pc, which triggered a one-hour halt in early trade.
The benchmark 30-share Sensex index closed down 875.41 points at 16,729.94, its seventh straight day of losses.—AFP
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