Toshiba Corporation

Asian markets sharply fell on Tuesday with the pessimistic sentiment that the global economic downturn could be lasting longer than expected. Tokyo market ended 1.4% lower, while Shanghai Composite dropped 2.9%, giving up some recent gains. South Korea stocks took a massive 4.1% loss, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slipped 3.8%.

Yesterday Asian share markets ended broadly lower after Wall Street's massive sell-off over the revised proposal to shore up U.S. banks. Japanese markets were closed for a public holiday. Hong Hong's Hang Seng Index dropped 2.5%, while South Korea's Kospi gave up 0.7%.

Asian markets generally opened lower on Friday. The markets gained Thursday as the U.S. plans to help troubled banks boosted financial shares. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index jumped 4.6% on the first trading day after the Lunar New Year holiday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei Stock Average of 225 companies gained 1.8% to 8251.24, bringing its three-day advance to 7.4%. Markets in China, Taiwan and Vietnam remain closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Asian markets were broadly weaker yesterday, with the battered Japanese Nikkei losing almost 1 per cent to close at 7682.1 points. A number of major markets including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore are closed for Lunar New Year holiday.