Market Report - Asia Shares Mostly Higher

CHEN:
Asian shares rose cautiously Friday, led by markets in Taiwan and Korea that hit year highs.

Taiwan's benchmark share index hit a 2008 peak on hopes of improved ties with China. High Tech Computer, the world's top smart phone maker, gained over 4 percent.

In Korea, the KOSPI inched higher, touching a year peak as chip giant Hynix Semiconductor followed U.S. peers higher.

The Australian share benchmark rose, led by top miner BHP Billiton, which jumped to a new record.

Japan's Nikkei dipped, breaking a four-day winning streak and ignoring better-than-expected economic growth in the last quarter. Supporting the market, Mizuho Financial gained over 2 percent, after the bank said it aimed to buy back some $3.8 billion of its own shares this year.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• ntdtv
• news
• Market
• Report
• Asia
• Shares
• KOSPI
• Hynix
• Semiconductor
• BHP
• Nikkei