US growth concerns sap regional markets

Nikkei: 8,682.15 (–90.39) Hang Seng: 17,983.10 (–326.12) Shanghai Comp: 2,331.37 (–46

Nikkei: 8,682.15 (–90.39) Hang Seng: 17,983.10 (–326.12) Shanghai Comp: 2,331.37 (–46.15)ASIAN STOCKS slid yesterday, amid uncertainty about European bailout-fund talks and as US companies grew more pessimistic about the outlook for the world's largest economy.

“US economic conditions don’t appear to be getting any better, and in fact there’s some risk it might get worse, so that doesn’t give investors much comfort at all,” said Angus Gluskieof White Funds Management in Sydney.

Sharp slid 2.1 per cent to ¥667 in Tokyo, while Nintendo, the maker of Wii game consoles which gets about 41 per cent of its revenue from Europe, sank 1.8 per cent to ¥11,800 in Osaka.

Esprit slumped 7.8 per cent to HK$10.48 in Hong Kong.

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BHP slid 2.5 per cent to A$35.48 in Sydney.

Jiangxi Copper, China’s top producer of the metal, fell 3.7 per cent to HK$15 in Hong Kong.

Korea Zinc, a producer of precious metals, plunged 10 per cent to 279,000 won in Seoul.

Newcrest Mining sank 6.4 per cent to A$33.45 in Sydney.

Tokyo Electric Power, the utility at the centre of the worst nuclear disaster in 25 years, surged 36 per cent to ¥292. – (Bloomberg)