Most of the Asian equity indices are trading lower in the early deals on Friday on the back of mounting geopolitical worries after a Malaysian Airlines passenger jet crashed in Eastern Ukraine. However, some of the markets are off their early lows, the overall mood continues to remain cautious with concerns about the impact the latest sanctions on Russia may have on the global economy. On the regional front, the Japanese market dropped sharply on stronger yen and the investors pressing sales across the board after geopolitical concerns mounted following the crash of a Malaysian Airlines passenger jet in eastern Ukraine. Among other markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea are trading weak, while Shanghai is up marginally.
Nikkei 225 tumbled by 176.87 points or 1.15% to 15,193.39, Hang Seng slipped 104.88 points or 0.45% to 23,415.99, KOSPI Index declined by 5.63 points or 0.28% to 2,015.27, Straits Times dropped 6.48 points or 0.20% to 3,300.41, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI decreased by 7.23 points or 0.38% to 1,875.91 and Taiwan Weighted was down by 15.71 points or 0.17% to 9,392.53.
On the flip side, Jakarta Composite soared 7.33 points or 0.14% to 5,078.53 and Shanghai Composite was up by 8.17 points or 0.40% to 2,063.76.