Asia Friday: Japan, Hong Kong Fall; Shanghai Gains

Asian indexes were a mixed bag Friday.

The Nikkei fell 0.14%. Nikon (NINOY.PK) gained 5%. Mizuho Financial (MFG) fell 4.9%.

The Hang Seng fell 0.65%. China Netcom (CN) gained 2.8%. China Petroleum (SNP) lost 2.45%. China Life (CHL) fell 1.9%.

The Shanghai Composite rose 1.01%.

The Bank of Japan's closely watched tankan survey showed corporate sentiment in Japan is waning, with sentiment among large manufacturers at a two-year low. Sentiment among property companies was also weak; Tokyo's real estate index fell 4.5% Friday, the worst sector. Banks were down as Japanese traders fretted the possibility Japanese banks may be obliged to contribute about $5 billion each to a fund to support subprime losses.

Sources: Reuters

Seeking Alpha's news briefs are combined into a pre-market summary called Wall Street Breakfast. Get Wall Street Breakfast by email -- it's free and takes only seconds to sign up.