Asian Markets Mixed as Greece Uncertainty Weighs

Asian stock markets turned in a mixed performance Friday, fluctuating as uncertainty over debt-laden Greece weighed on investors.

An investor looks at a stock price monitor at a private securities company Wednesday, March 17, 2010...

An investor looks at a stock price monitor at a private securities company Wednesday, March 17, 2010 in Shanghai, China. Asian stock markets have pushed higher after the U.S. central bank again pledged to hold interests rates low and gave mildly optimistic assessment of the world's largest economy. China's main Shanghai index added 1.9 percent Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

(AP)

A number of markets were little changed, while oil prices slipped below $82 a barrel and the dollar gained against the yen and weakened against the euro.

Investors were unnerved overnight by new signs European indecision and discord were hampering a quicker resolution to Greece's fiscal crisis. This week, Greece said it could be forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund for aid if European leaders can't agree to a bailout plan next week.

Markets have been hit with selling in recent months amid worries Greece, struggling under mountains of public debt, would have trouble making payments.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 stock average fell 71.49 points, or 0.7 percent, to 10,815.52.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 53.00 points, or 0.3 percent, to 21,277.67 and South Korea's Kospi was up 5.98 points, or 0.4 percent, at 1,681.15.

Elsewhere, Shanghai's market eased 0.4 percent, Australia's index ticked 0.1 percent higher and Taiwan's market dropped 0.3 percent.

Oi prices were lower in Asia, the benchmark contract shedding 35 cents to $81.85 a barrel. The contract lost 73 cents overnight.

In currencies, the dollar gained to 90.43 yen from 90.35 yen. The euro was higher at $1.3620 from $1.3603.

Overnight on Wall Street, modestly positive economic data helped pull Wall Street to another higher finish.

The Dow rose 45.50, or 0.4 percent, to 10,779.17. That marks the highest close since Oct. 1, 2008. The Dow last rose for eight straight days in the period ended Aug. 27.

The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.38, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,165.83.

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