Hong Kong, Shanghai Stocks Join Asian Retreat

Hong Kong stocks ended the week down on Thursday, in line with an Asia-wide retreat and following losses on Wall Street, as investors wound down for a long Easter weekend.

But Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.5 percent, to 29,963.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.4 percent, to 3,250 and the Shenzhen Composite Index slipped 0.6 percent, to 1,762.

Singapore eased 0.2 percent. Tokyo closed down 0.8 percent.

Mumbai, Wellington and Taipei were also lower, though Sydney was slightly up.

Jakarta jumped 0.7 percent – and the rupiah rose 0.3 percent – as early polls suggested business-friendly incumbent Joko Widodo was on course to win Indonesia's presidential election.

Seoul tumbled 1.4 percent, with market heavyweight Samsung tumbling more than 3 percent after a handful of reviewers said the firm's US$1,980 flagship Galaxy Fold phones had suffered screen damage within days of being used. (AFP)