Asian shares mostly fall as tech stocks slump on Wall Street
ABC News
Asian benchmarks have slipped after technology shares in the region echoed a similar drop in the sector on Wall Street
TOKYO -- Asian benchmarks mostly slipped Wednesday as technology shares in the region echoed a similar drop in the sector on Wall Street.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 inched up 0.1% to finish at 29,332.16. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.3% to 7,565.80. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 1.3% to 2,950.71. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 1.3% to 22,985.05, while the Shanghai Composite lost 1.0% to 3,596.03.
Worries continue about COVID-19, as reports of the more contagious omicron keep growing in the region.
In Japan, many people are not heeding warnings to take precautions and crowds have been out at levels close to pre-pandemic levels in Tokyo, where booster shots have barely gotten started. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has promised to speed them up, starting with medical professionals.