taking in the absence of any major positive news, brokers said. Some investors also stayed on the sidelines awaiting direction from Wall Street, which was closed on Monday for a holiday. Elsewhere: SINGAPORE: Shares closed lower on profit-taking. The Straits Times Index fell 2.93 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,084.19. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian shares closed at their highest level in 4 1/2 years, boosted by gains in the banking sector. The Composite Index of 100 blue-chip stocks rose 5.3 points, or 0.6 percent, to 937.56. TAIPEI: Taiwan shares closed slightly lower as investors took profits. The Weighted Price Index fell11.70 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,933.57. WELLINGTON: New Zealand shares closed higher. The NZSX-50 Gross Index rose 24.14 points, or 0.79 percent, to 3,081.56. MANILA: Philippine shares closed slightly lower. The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 3.73 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,905.45. SYDNEY: Australian shares closed lower on widespread weakness, particularly among property and energy stocks. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 14.9 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,062.00. SEOUL: South Korean shares closed slightly lower. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, fell 2.51 points, or 0.3 percent, to 920.57. JAKARTA: Indonesian shares closed lower on profit-taking. The Composite Index fell 7.15 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,017.72. BANGKOK: Thai shares closed slightly higher. The Stock Exchange of Thailand Index rose 1.25 points, or 0.2 percent, to 709.55.
