Money traders work in front of screens indicating the U.S. dollar is traded at 116.266 yen while the euro is at 135,132 yen at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. Asian stocks were sharply lower Friday after a surprise move by the Swiss National Bank to abandon its efforts to keep its currency artificially cheap shocked the market. Japanâs Nikkei 225 dropped 2.8 percent to 16,628.06 while South Koreaâs Kospi fell 1.2 percent to 1,891.04. The dollar fell to 115.983 yen from 116.207 yen while the euro rose to $1.1634 from $1.1619. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Asian stocks were sharply lower Friday after a surprise move by the Swiss National Bank to abandon its efforts to keep its currency artificially cheap shocked the market.
KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 2.8 percent to 16,628.06 while South Korea's Kospi fell 1.2 percent to 1,891.04. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 0.6 percent to 24,197.01. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.8 percent to 5,289.80. Stocks in Singapore, New Zealand and Taiwan also fell.
SWISS SHOCK: The Swiss National Bank, or SNB, said early morning on Thursday that it decided to ditch an increasingly expensive policy to cap the rise of the Swiss franc. After the announcement, the Swiss franc spiked against the euro and the dollar while Swiss stocks tanked. The SNB had prevented the euro from trading below 1.20 francs. But the cost for retaining the policy for the central bank by buying euros or selling francs has risen as the outlook for the euro darkened.
ANALYST'S TAKE: "At least for the short term the Swiss Bank action has opened up a new front of financial markets risk," said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. "The Swiss Bank's move last night is a reminder to investors and traders that Central Bank action is a source of market risk given the scale of their activities in recent years and its impact on economic activity."
WALL STREET: On Thursday, U.S. stock markets were weighed down by weak quarterly financial results from Bank of America and Citigroup. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.9 percent to close at 1,992.67. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 0.6 percent to 17,320.71, while the Nasdaq composite fell 1.5 percent to 4,570.82.
OIL: The benchmark U.S. crude futures contract was up 7 cents to$46.32 a barrel in electronic NYMEX trading. The contract tumbled $2.23 to settle at $46.25 in New York on Thursday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, was up 5 cents at $48.32 a barrel in London.
CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 115.983 yen from 116.207 yen while the euro rose to $1.1634 from $1.1619.
Money traders work at a computer terminal at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. Asian stocks were sharply lower Friday after a surprise move by the Swiss National Bank to abandon its efforts to keep its currency artificially cheap shocked the market. Japanâs Nikkei 225 dropped 2.8 percent to 16,628.06 while South Koreaâs Kospi fell 1.2 percent to 1,891.04. The dollar fell to 115.983 yen from 116.207 yen while the euro rose to $1.1634 from $1.1619. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
The Associated Press
Money traders watch the monitors at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. Asian stocks were sharply lower Friday after a surprise move by the Swiss National Bank to abandon its efforts to keep its currency artificially cheap shocked the market. Japanâs Nikkei 225 dropped 2.8 percent to 16,628.06 while South Koreaâs Kospi fell 1.2 percent to 1,891.04. The dollar fell to 115.983 yen from 116.207 yen while the euro rose to $1.1634 from $1.1619. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
The Associated Press
An electric board shows Japanese yen is traded at 135,150 yen against euro at a foreign exchange trading dealer in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. Asian stocks were sharply lower Friday after a surprise move by the Swiss National Bank to abandon its efforts to keep its currency artificially cheap shocked the market. Japanâs Nikkei 225 dropped 2.8 percent to 16,628.06 while South Koreaâs Kospi fell 1.2 percent to 1,891.04. The dollar fell to 115.983 yen from 116.207 yen while the euro rose to $1.1634 from $1.1619. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
The Associated Press