06:50 AM EDT, 10/16/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets largely fell back Wednesday on overnight Wall Street declines and after the Netherlands-based ASML, a bellwether maker of equipment used in chip production, on Tuesday posted tempered sales guidance for 2025.

Hong Kong and Tokyo finished in the red, while Shanghai was flat. Most other regional exchanges also lost ground.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened sharply lower and could not recover, finishing 1.8% on Wall Street cues and tech-sector weakness.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 730.25 to 39,180.30, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 188 to 36.

Leading the upside was builder Obayashi, up 4.4%, while semiconductor-manufacturing equipment maker Lasertec fell back 13.4%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower, seesawed and finished off 0.2% as traders again tread cautiously ahead still-uncertain of Beijing stimulus plans.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 31.94 to 20,286.85, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 45 to 36. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 1.1% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 3.4%.

Leading the upside was property developer Longfor, gaining 7.8%, while JD Health International lost 4.1%

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite finished flat at 3,202.95

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.9%; the Taiwan TWSE declined 1.2%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.4%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.1%, and the Thai Set inclined 1.4%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.4%.

In other news, the Bank of Thailand cut its key policy rate to 2.25% from 2.50%, while Bank Indonesia held its key rate unchanged at 6.00%.

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