8:00AM Asian markets ended mixed. The Nikkei extended gains.
Asian-Pacific benchmarks closed mixed. The Nikkei extended yesterday’s gains, rising 0.5% to 16,115.63, supported by optimism in domestic economy after the Bank of Japan said it would end its five-year-old quantitative easing, but retain its zero-interest rate. The Japanese index advanced despite a weaker close of U.S. markets and disappointing economic data. Leading gainers were autos and banking issues. Across the region, South Korea’s Kospi climbed 0.7%, ending a three-day losing streak, helped by stronger tech stocks, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.4% on interest-related uncertainty. Indian stocks surged to 1.8%.

European stocks dropped at mid-day dealings, reflecting lower close on Wall Street, interest-rate concerns and cautiousness ahead of non-farm payrolls data release. Decliners included miners like Anglo American, down 2.1%, banks such as ABN Amro, down 0.5%, and aerospace defense contractor Thales, falling 0.7%. The German DAX 30 fell 0.3%, the French CAC 40 declined 0.1%, and London FTSE 100 lost 0.1%. The euro rose 0.2% versus the dollar to $1.1918.