Asian stock markets fell in light trading Friday, with a stronger yen weighing on exporters in Japan, as AP reported. The Nikkei 225 stock average lost 0.7 percent to 10,272.96, reopening after a national holiday Thursday. The dollar fell under the 83-yen line overnight and was trading around the 83-yen level. Honda Motor Co. lost 0.8 percent, while Sony Corp. was off 0.4 percent. Sentiment was lackluster across the region as many markets around the world headed into the Christmas holidays. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.3 percent to 22,827.56, the Shanghai Composite index declined 0.7 percent to 2,834.28 and South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.1 percent to 2,035.20. Korean automakers lost ground, with Hyundai Motor Co. tumbling 2.2 percent. Benchmarks in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan also retreated. In New York on Thursday, stocks ended mixed after reports showed small improvements in consumer spending and the job market. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 14 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 11,573.49. The U.S. Commerce Department reported that consumer spending rose 0.4 percent in November from the month before. In a separate report, the Labor Department said the number of people applying for unemployment benefits for the first time dropped by 3,000 last week to 420,000. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.07, or 0.2 percent, to 1,256.77. The Nasdaq composite index fell 5.88, or 0.2 percent, to 2,665.60. In currencies, the dollar was trading at 83.03 yen from 82.95 yen late Thursday. The euro stood at $1.3128 from $1.3114. Benchmark oil for February delivery rose $1.03 to settle at $91.51 Thursday as the positive U.S. economic news helped push up the price to its highest level in more than two years.
