BANGKOK (AP) ? Asian stock markets were mostly lower Friday as traders took profits following strong gains in Japan while Chinese shares recouped lost ground.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index was slightly lower at 10,116.32 as traders took profits following a week of sharp gains that were largely due to the yen's retreat from record highs against the dollar.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.1 percent to 21,328.02 and South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.2 percent to 2,038.96. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.1 percent at 4,273.70. Mainland Chinese shares rose.
Investors also were pausing to evaluate the latest economic news out of the U.S. showing fewer claims for unemployment and an improvement in manufacturing.
The U.S. government said applications for unemployment benefits fell last week to 351,000 ? matching a four-year low. That's a sign that the job market is improving.
In addition, manufacturing activity in New York rose to a 21-month high and in Philadelphia to a nearly one-year high, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.
"It takes time for investors to further gauge the US economic prospect before markets get excited again. Trading in Asia is likely to be in ranges today without much direction," analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in an email.
Benchmark oil for April delivery was up 42 cents to $105.53 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 32 cents to settle at $105.11 per barrel in New York on Thursday.
The euro fell to $1.3086 from $1.3097 late Thursday in New York. The dollar was unchanged at 83.38 yen. It rose to as high as 84.175 yen overnight Thursday, its highest point against the yen since April 13.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asia-stock-markets-down-amid-profit-taking-033517870.html
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