Asian markets lower after US losses

Asian markets followed Wall Street lower as investors looked ahead to US jobs data and a meeting of Japan's central bank. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.9 per cent to 3,731.75 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.9 per cent to 24,605.25. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 shed 0.2 per cent to 20,616.43 and Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.8 per cent to 5,505.40. Kospi edged down 0.1 per cent to 2,010.75. Taiwan, New Zealand and Jakarta also declined. The Shanghai index rose 150 per cent. The dollar gained to 124.82 yen from Thursday's 124.68 yen. The euro slipped to $1.0915 from $1.0926, according to AP.

-SRS