05:46 AM EST, 11/14/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets mostly fell Friday following a tech retreat and a slug of soft economics reports from Beijing. Fading bets of a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve also weighed on sentiment.

Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo finished in the red, as did most other regional exchanges. The tech-heavy KOSPI equity index in Seoul fell 3.8%, and lead regional downturns.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened lower on Wall Street cues and drifted, finishing down 1.8% as traders eschewed tech- and AI-related issues on valuation concerns.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 905.30 to 50,376.53, though gaining issues outnumbered losers 126 to 94.

Leading the upside was printing and packaging house Toppan, up 14%, while pump-maker Ebara declined 14%, with both moves following earnings reports.

In economic news, Japan's seasonally adjusted tertiary (services) industry index rose 0.3% in September sequentially, reported the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and declined to the closing bell, sinking 1.9% after a slew of soft economic releases from Beijing and media reports that the US central bank is concerned about inflation.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 500.57 to 26,572.46, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 72 to 12. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 2.8% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 0.5%.

Leading the upside was JD Health International, gaining 6.6%, while search-engine giant Baidu declined 7.2%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 1% to 3,990.49.

In economic news, mainland China's industrial production rose 4.9% on year in October, slowing from 6.5% on year in September, while the nation's retail sales rose a tepid 2.9% on year last month, after a 3% gain in September, reported Beijing.

House prices in October were down 2.2% on year, extending a slide in property values that extends back to mid-2022, and which has sapped consumer confidence.

On the other regional exchanges, the Taiwan TWSE declined 1.8%; the Australian ASX 200 lost 1.4%; the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.7%, and the Thai Set dropped 1.4%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was up 0.1%.

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