Yen reaches 18-month high against dollar
by Dominique Fong
Market Watch
Shares in most Asian stock markets edged lower Friday, with gains capped by disappointment over the Bank of Japan holding back on additional stimulus and worries about global economic growth.
China’s Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, -0.31% was little changed, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index HSI, -1.47% lost 1.2%.
Elsewhere in Asia, Korea’s Kospi SEU, -0.53% fell 0.6%, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 XJO, +0.30% rose 0.3%. Japan’s stock market was closed in observance of a public holiday.
Broad losses in U.S. stocks overnight weighed on some stock markets in Asia.