06:51 AM EDT, 03/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Asian stock markets turned in a choppy Friday, as foreign-exchange rates boosted Japan issues, but China markets declined on earnings-season misses, as well as ongoing property-sector woes.

Hong Kong and Shanghai fell back, while Tokyo finished at another record all-time high. Other regional exchanges were mixed, although Taiwan also finished at an all-time zenith.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher, wobbled but finished up 0.2% as a soft yen boosted export issues. The yen traded near 152 to the US dollar, compared with 130 to the greenback a year earlier.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 72.77 to 40,888.43, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 161 to 61.

Leading the upside was electronics house Sharp, up 5.2%, while Chugai Pharmaceuticals declined 3.6%.

In economic news, Japan's headline consumer price index, or CPI, rose 2.8% on year in February, higher than the 2.2% on-year gain posted in January, reported the Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower and declined, finishing off 2.2% on weak earnings reports. Property and tech issues lagged.

The broad gauge Hang Seng fell 363.63 to 16,499.47, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 73 to nine. The Hang Seng TECH Index lost 3.6% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index fell 2.5%.

Leading the upside was Henderson Land Development, gaining 2.4%, while shipping line Orient Overseas International brought up the rear, falling 16.7%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite fell 1% to 3,048.03.

On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI fell 0.2%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 0.2%; the Australian ASX 200 declined 0.2%; the Singapore Straits Times Index slipped 0.1%, and the Thai Set lost 0.5%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex added 0.3%.

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