Share prices mixed on major world stock marts

TOKYO (Agencies): Share prices closed mixed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on yesterday as gains on buying from foreign investors and investment trusts were offset by profit-taking.

The Nikkei Stock Average OF 225 leading issues closed 27.40 points or 0.13 percent lower at 20,632.73.

But the Tokyo Stock Price Index (Topix) of all issues on the first section ended 0.71 points higher at 1,653.31.

Turnover on the major board remained small, totaling an estimated 280 million shares, against 259.91 million shares traded in the previous session.

In Hong Kong, stocks prices fell 1.13 percent on profit-taking after eight consecutive sessions of gains, with the key Hang Seng Index shedding 109.14 points to close at 9,585.89.

In Taipei, wiping out the previous session's 40.54-point rise, the 376-issue weighted price index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange plunged 156 points, or 2.26 percent, to settle at 6,723.56 points.

In Singapore, the blue-chip Straits Times Industrials index gained 3.83 points to close at 2,267.13 while the broader-based SES All-Singapore index rose 0.38 points to 568.90.

In Bangkok, active trading in the finance and property sectors yesterday pushed the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index up 7.56 points, or 0.54 percent, to a close of 1,407,28 points, brokers said.

In Sydney, the All Ordinaries index finished at 2,072.3 points, down 14.6 points, or 0.7 percent on Tuesday's finish. The All Industrials index fell 17.8 points to 3,039.2 while the All Resources index dipped 12.6 points to 1,345.8.

In London, the blue-chip Financial Times Stock Exchange 100- share index was at 3,148.7 near midmorning, down 8.8 points from the previous close. The narrower Ft-30 index was at 2,456.1, unchanged from Tuesday's close.

In New York, the Dow index of 30 leading industrials fell 1.95 points to close at 3,796.22.

On the broader market, advancing issues outnumbered decliners 1,245 to 914 with 674 unchanged as 295 million shares changed hands.