Asian stock markets turned mostly lower on Wednesday, AP reported. . Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.3 percent to 20,267.05 and South Korea's Kospi dipped less than 0.1 percent to 2,372.57. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.1 percent to 5,664.30. But Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.4 percent to 27,615.85. China's Shanghai Composite Index was flat at 3,344.23. Stocks in Southeast Asia were mixed. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 38 cents to $52.26 per barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract slid 34 cents to finish at $51.88 a barrel on Tuesday. Brent crude, the standard for international oil prices, gained 27 cents to $58.19 a barrel in London. It gave up 51 cents to $57.92 a barrel in London on Tuesday. The dollar rose to 112.66 yen from 112.23 yen. The euro fell to $1.1757 from $1.1791.
