Business

Asian stocks slide as oil falters following Saudi remarks

Posted February 23, 2016 6:00 am

By KELVIN CHAN

Trader Andrew Silverman, left, and specialist Michael McDonnell work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) - Asian stocks were mostly lower on Wednesday, tracking declines on Wall Street as crude oil extended losses after Saudi Arabia ruled out freezing production, saying market forces should be allowed to work.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.7 percent to 15,948.31 as investors seeking haven in the yen pushed it higher, hurting shares of the country's big exporters. South Korea's Kospi was flat at 1,914.34 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.1 percent to 19,194.31. The Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China dipped 0.3 percent to 2,894.82. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slid 1.6 percent to 4,901.10. Benchmarks in Taiwan and Southeast Asia also lost ground.

CRUDE CONCERNS: Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, told a meeting of energy leaders in Houston on Monday that output cuts aimed at boosting slumping crude prices won't work. He said that the market should instead let some operators go out of business. Crude oil tumbled more than 4 percent. The long term drop in oil prices, which are hovering around $30 a barrel after tumbling from more than $100 in mid-2014, has sliced into profits at energy companies. It's also now starting to hurt income at big U.S. banks as higher-cost producers struggle to repay loans taken out during the boom.

ANALYST INSIGHT: "The disappearance of risk appetite after last week's positive performance can be traced to bad news around oil once again," said Bernard Aw, market strategist at IG.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude futures skidded 54 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $31.33 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.52, or 4.6 percent, to settle at $31.87 a barrel on Monday. Brent crude, which is used to price oils internationally, fell 35 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $32.92 a barrel in London.

WALL STREET: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.1 percent to 16,431.78 and the Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 1.3 percent to 1,921.27. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.5 percent to 4,503.58.

CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 111.90 yen from 111.97 yen in the previous day's trading. The euro weakened to $1.1016 from $1.1018.

Trader Michael Milano works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Trader John Bishop, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Trader Tommy Kalikas works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Specialists Mario Picone, left, and Anthony Matesic work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Specialist Philip Finale, center, works with traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Fred DeMarco, right, works with fellow traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

Specialist Michael Pistillo, left, and trader Timothy Nick work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Stocks are opening slightly lower on Wall Street as the market gives back some of a big gain from the day before. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Associated Press

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